The God's stone
by VibrantColors
Summary: When everything is on the verge of destruction, the only remaining thing to do is praying to God for a miracle. But what happens when even God Himself is not on your side? For N, opposing Him is the only option. A story about strong desires, unexpected alliances and powers beyond human control, set in a world where good and evil are relevant.Based on Pokémon Black and White.
1. Chapter 1

The pain was killing him… He could feel the fresh blood running through two deep wounds on his back. The only thing he wanted was to fall to the ground and let his weakness take the best of him. But he knew he couldn't do that. He sold his soul to the devil in order to be here right now. After walking a long, dark corridor, he found himself inside a large room. On the room's walls there were four large drawings. The first one was a dead dragon, his soul split in half and giving birth to two new dragons, one black and one white. The second one showed each dragon siding with a human. Those two humans have been called heroes until today. The third one showed the body of the dead dragon covered with snow and in the last one the dragon had been reborn, his face and body terribly distorted. Watching the last drawing made the young man smile, in a futile attempt to hide his pain. In the middle of the room were two altars. On the right one there was a black sphere, but on the left one, the sphere was white. The boy moved towards them. He was here to take the white one, according to the plan. When he held the sphere in his hands he felt relieved. He smiled softly before putting the round stone in his pocket. Suddenly both spheres started glowing, as if they were resonating but, in a few seconds, everything went back to normal. That was weird. The boy wasn't a hero, so there was no reason for the objects to react. But since nothing more than that happened, he decided to let it go. He had more important things to worry about, anyway. Then he walked away.

After a while the young man was at the top of the building. There, a woman was waiting for him. On her shoulders was sitting a Shellos. When she saw the boy, she gave him a big smile and started moving towards him.

"You look like crap."

The boy then smiled ironically.

"Tell me something I don't know. Anyway, I got it. The dead body of Reshiram"

Then the woman clapped her hands with delight.

"Excellent job, dear. I knew you could do it."

"Are you sure that the plan is going to work?"

After hearing that she stopped walking and looked at him a bit annoyed. She sighed sadly and crossed her arms.

"What a pessimistic person you are! Seriously! You are supposed to be the antagonist here but you act like a five years old kid instead. Show some enthusiasm for once. Of course it is going to work. Trust me!"

He laughed softly. That was all he wanted to listen. There was no need to pretend that he was strong anymore. His body couldn't bear the pain and his wounds were still open. He then smiled to the woman. It was one of the most sincere and warm smiles he had ever given. After that everything went dark. He lost his senses and fell to the cold floor of the roof. The woman terrified, run towards him while yelling out his name, in a futile attempt to bring him back to his senses…


	2. Accumula1

**A few months ago…**

Accumula was a small town in southeast Unova. Many teenagers visited this town at this time of the year, in order to get their first Pokémon from Aurea Juniper, a professor chosen by the Pokémon federation for that purpose. Her laboratory was located in a nearby town, named Nuvema. As a result, Accumula was very noisy these days.

N was sitting on a park bench, watching all these people wandering around and waiting for the next bus to Nuvema. They were the reason he came to this town, anyway. His father had told him that, the young and the inexperienced were much easier to persuade. After a while he turned his eyes towards some men building a big platform with the help of many Timburr. There, his father was going to speak about Pokémon liberation sooner or later. The boy smiled. Everything was going according to plan. He knew that, by the time his father's speech was over, many of these trainers, all of them if possible, will have their journey cancelled. After that, he was supposed to leave alone for a long trip to Nimbasa, in order to collect information about two legendary Pokémon, Reshiram and Zekrom. If he was able to control one of those, all people in Unova would release their Pokémon, without a doubt. That had been his plan from the very beginning. He strongly believed that if humans and Pokémon were together, Pokémon could never become perfect beings. Then, all of sudden, a young girl came by his side and grabbed his arm. The boy looked at her and smiled softly.

"Father is ready I suppose. You saw him coming, didn't you?"

The girl nodded happily. N stood up and petted her head.

"I see. Well, let's get going. I am very eager to see how people will react to my father's speech. I also hope for positive results."

Before he left, he looked one final time at the town's entrance. Four new trainers were there right now, two boys and two girls. One of the girls was begging the boy next to her to teach her how to battle while he was telling her to stop annoying him. The other boy was telling them to shut up and the other girl was watching them quietly. Nothing really special, the last party arrived about an hour ago. The boy then, walked away.

After a while, N noticed a big commotion at the town's gate. A group of people dressed like medieval knights along with a very tall man in weird, colorful robes, were making their way to the platform. The trainer's eyes opened wide. He put his hand on his forehead and waved his head left and right in disappointment. His father overdid it this time. The boy remembered him saying that the most important part of approaching someone was drawing his or her attention first, but that was way too extravagant. Who was going to take him seriously, if he was dressed like that? Strangely a lot people gathered around him and many more came closer, to see what was happening. N remained speechless. He didn't know if he, once again, underestimated his father or overestimated humans. Without much thought, he picked the latter. Then, the trainer decided to merge with the crowd, who was following his father and his men. All this time the young girl was behind him.

When N's father stepped on the platform, he raised his hands and greeted warmly the crowd below him. Then he started his speech.

"Good afternoon, dear citizens of Accumula. My name is Ghetsis and I'm here representing Team Plasma. We are a group of people who love and cherish Pokémon and our goal is to find a way to live in harmony with them. So, after much thought we concluded on Pokémon liberation. That's what I would like to talk to you about, ladies and gentlemen.  
I am sure that most of you believe that humans and Pokémon have come to live together because we need and help each other. But have you ever considered that we, humans, only assume that this is the truth? Have we ever asked the opinion of Pokémon about that issue? Please think about it. Let me present you some facts which show that maybe Pokémon would be better without us. First of all, our loyal friends are subject to the selfish commands of Trainers. And on top of that, they get pushed around at work, even though we call them 'partners'. Can anyone say with confidence that there is no truth in what I'm saying? "

N really admired his father that moment. Ghetsis had the power to play other people like the violin. The boy looked around to see how many of the crowd fell for his father words. Then, he noticed the four trainers that he had seen earlier. Sadly the boys didn't seem to be persuaded at all and even worse, they told the girls not to believe the man either. N was disappointed. Later he would try to approach them. Maybe then, he would find a way to change their minds. He turned his attention to the platform. Ghetsis was still speaking.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen, Pokémon are, indeed, quite different than people, don't you agree? Creatures from which we people have so much to learn. And because of that, we, humans, hold great responsibility for them. Does anyone of you, dear citizens, know what this responsibility is? Please think of it for a moment and give me your answer."

N, once again, peeked at the party of the four trainers. They boys were talking about something irrelevant and one girl was telling them to be quiet. But the other girl was holding a Pokeball while looking very sad. That was a good sign. Maybe she would be easier to persuade. Later, he was going to approach her. The boy wasn't as good as his father was with words, but it wouldn't hurt to give it a try. Then he turned one more time his attention to the platform. This speech was awfully longer than the last one.

"Yes, my friend, you are right. We must liberate Pokémon. Then and only then both of us will be truly equal. Ladies and gentlemen, I really beg you to consider our relationship with Pokémon and how we can make this relationship even better. It is for the good of both Pokémon and ours. We, team Plasma, sincerely appreciate your attention."

After bowing gracefully, Ghetsis came down of the platform and left, together with his men. N was quite pleased with the outcome. Most of these young trainers said that they would have their journey cancelled and even better some people released their Pokémon. Total success, was the only way to describe it. All he had to do now was to find that girl. He turned his eyes towards the young girl, who was standing beside him all this time.

"Can you do me a favor? Do you remember those four people we saw at the city gate earlier? I am looking for the brown haired girl with the white and pink hat. Could you help me find her?"

The girl smiled and nodded happily before she started searching.


	3. Accumula2

Some time later, N found the girl sitting on a park bench near the Pokémon center. Luckily, none of her friends were nearby. Without wasting time, he and the young girl run towards her. The female trainer didn't notice them coming. She seemed lost in her own thoughts. N should talk to her. He felt a bit uneasy. He had always trouble talking to people but this time he should overcome it. The boy fixed his hat a little and stood right in front of her, as the young girl hid timidly behind his back. He put on a nervous smile and started speaking.

"Hello there! I saw you before… at the speech of that man and… you looked troubled. Can I help? My name is N."

Then the girl raised her eyes and looked at him. She startled a bit at first, but then she smiled warmly.

"Yeah, that's true. I have many things in my mind right now. Ah, where are my manners? It's nice to meet you N. My name is Hilda."

Hilda stood up and shook his hand. Only then she noticed the young girl, who was hiding behind him.

"And who is that girl over there? A friend of yours?"

N laughed softly and looked at the young girl, when she shyly stepped forward.

"Yes, we are childhood friends."

Hilda nodded and greeted heartily the girl.

"Hello, I'm Hilda. What's your name? Are you a trainer?"

The girl blushed and hid again behind N's back. The boy laughed and petted her head. Then he looked again at Hilda who seemed a bit confused.

"I'm sorry. My friend here is a bit timid around people she doesn't know. Please don't take it personally. She is like that with almost everyone."

"Don't worry, I understand. I was like that a few years ago. To tell you the truth, I was even more timid than your friend."

"Thank you. Now, tell me Hilda. Why were you so sad back then? Is there something I can do to help you?"

Suddenly, the girl's cheerful face turned sad. She sat again on the park bench. N sat beside her. Then Hilda took a Pokeball from her pink bag and showed it to him.

"This Pokeball contains the Snivy professor Juniper gave me this morning. It's very kind and sweet and I really like him a lot. But when all of my friends chose their first Pokémon, we decided to battle each other. I lost in every match. I'm not strong. And I don't think that I ever be."

N felt disappointed. For one moment he thought that this girl might be different, but sadly, she was the same as every other trainer he met during his travels.

"So you also only pursuit strength, huh? How sad…"

Hilda shook her head while waving her hands frantically.

"Ah, no you misunderstood. I want to be strong, so I can protect him."

N's eyes opened wide.

"Protect…him? "

The girl nodded.

"Yes. No matter how strong a Pokémon is, if its trainer is weak only problems occur and moreover, the Pokémon might be put in danger. That's why I wanted to become stronger. I asked Hilbert for help too, but he just told me that I was annoying. However, when I heard the words of that man earlier, I thought that it might be a better choice to release him. It will be better than traveling with a useless idiot."

Hilda covered her eyes with her hands and sighed sadly. N tried to talk with her but the young girl, all of sudden, grabbed his arm and gazed at him with sorrowful eyes. The boy looked at her, really surprised. The girl rarely showed any trust in others, yet she wanted to help that female trainer. He stroked her hair and nodded. The trainer then, turned his attention towards Hilda.

"And why don't you ask for Snivy's opinion? I think it would be better that way."

Hilda shook her head.

"That could make sense, if Snivy was a human. He is a Pokémon though, so I can't understand what he says, even if I really want to."

"Well I can. You see, I am a trainer who can talk to Pokémon. "

The girl blinked, obviously surprised.

"You are kidding, right?"

"No, I'm telling the truth. Please, let me talk with him. I promise I won't do anything funny."

Hilda reluctantly pushed the pokeball's white button and a Snivy came out. N greeted it happily before they began talking. The female trainer couldn't believe in her eyes. She couldn't tell if the boy was really able to communicate with Snivy or he was just pretending. A few minutes later the grass snake leaped into Hilda's arms as she looked at N, obviously confused. The boy smiled at her and the other girl clapped her hands, happily.

"Hilda, I have to say that I'm impressed. It's the first time I hear a Pokémon saying that he loves his trainer that much. Snivy told me he is very happy that you chose him and he doesn't care about those battles earlier. He only wants to be with you."

The girl's face beamed with joy and embraced her Pokémon tightly.

"Oh N, I don't know how to thank you! You stopped me from doing a terrible mistake. I'm sorry for not believing you from the beginning."

N covered his mouth with his hand, in an attempt to hide a broad grin. For some reason he was really happy, despite the fact that things didn't turn out as he planned. There was something with this girl that fascinated him, though. The way she managed to come so close with her Pokémon in such a short time and the fact that the young girl had also taken a liking on her, a very difficult feat to achieve even for him, made Hilda interesting… Pretty interesting…

"Hey, Hilda! I found you at last!"

At that moment, the three of them turned around to see who was calling the female trainer.


	4. Accumula End

Hilbert was running towards his friend, who was with an unknown green haired guy and a cute brown haired girl. When he finally got closer he completely ignored both N and the girl and stood in front of Hilda.

"Where have you been? I looked for you almost everywhere! You had been vanished, since that clown finished his speech! What happened? When I told you that I wasn't going to help you, you immediately searched for a substitute? You are more persistent than I thought, I admit it. Now let's go. The others are waiting for us."

Hilda lowered her eyes and nodded sadly. She returned Snivy back to her pokeball and put the machine inside her bag. N put his hand on the boy's shoulder, an action that made Hilbert turn around and finally noticing him.

"Sorry to interfere, but it was me who approached her, not the other way around. I was passing by when I saw her sitting here looking very sad. So, I decided to help her. My name is N by the way."

Hilbert grinned and shook his hand.

"It's Hilbert. Well, I'm pretty sure that she was going to ask you sooner or later. If you want, listen my advice and go straight to Striaton. She will only slow you down, believe me."

Hearing these words made N really angry. He looked at Hilda. She was on the verge of crying.

"You should stop that. Don't you see that you make her sad? I thought you were friends."

Hilbert looked at him indifferently.

"Yeah, whatever… Say, N, did you hear those clowns earlier? They were saying some very stupid things. And did you see all those people who released their Pokémon? I bet they were all weaklings. Strong trainers never abandon their Pokémon, don't you agree?"

"To me, their words make sense. I am a trainer too but I can't help wondering… Are Pokémon really happy to live among us? Maybe Ghetsis' was telling the truth. Think about it."

"Or maybe you, too, are a weakling like Hilda and thinking of giving up. But, to tell the truth, it's better that way. If all weak trainers call it quits, I will have more chances to battle really strong people."

Hilda then tried to run off crying but N grabbed her arm and brought her closer to him. He looked at Hilbert completely furious.

"You are a thousand years too early to be facing me, Hilbert. And now you should better apologize or else-"

"Or else, what? If you are really that great, show me! Battle me, here and now! Bring your stronger Pokémon!"

Hilbert took a pokeball from his blue bag and pressed the device's big white button. Then an Oshawott came out. N, after watching it for a while, shook his head disappointed.

"Your Oshawott speaks to me, Hilbert. She says that you are-"

"Great, now you claim you can talk to them! What are you, a lunatic or something? If you are so scared to battle me, just say it."

N crossed his arms and sighed sadly.

"Tsk, acting like the regional champion even though you took your first Pokémon this morning… Fine, I accept your challenge, but only to shut that big mouth of yours."

Then the boy looked at the young girl, who was standing beside him. She nodded and after a few stretches, she went right in front of Hilbert's Pokémon. The other trainer's face turned bright red from anger.

"What the… You think that I'm joking?"

N grinned and fixed his hat a little.

"I am not joking either. Didn't you wanted a battle with my strongest friend? Well, here we are! "

Suddenly a black aura emitted from the girl. Her brown hair took a crimson color and from her skin grew grey and black hair. Her nails became long and red and her eyes now had an ice blue color instead of the usual brown. When the aura was gone a Pokémon was standing in her place. Both trainers froze. Hilbert was staring with his mouth open and Hilda put her hand over her mouth and her eyes opened wide.

"Allow me to introduce Zoroark, a childhood friend of mine. As an act of kindness, I will let you make the first move. Now, shall we begin?"

The moment Hilbert saw that Zoroark, he knew he was screwed. He clenched his teeth, as he felt sweat pouring off his forehead. The boy looked at N. He had his arms crossed and that grin of his was still intact. The green haired man knew he had won from the very beginning. Just looking at him put Hilbert under more pressure. Act of kindness? Act of kindness his ass, N only wanted to make a fool out of him. But Hilbert wasn't going to lose without a fight. Finally he decided to move.

"Oshawott use water gun! Full strength!"

The little Pokémon did the best it could but, Zoroark blocked the attack effortlessly just by using his arm. Hilbert fell down on his knees, utterly defeated. Water gun was Oshawott's strongest move, yet it didn't manage to scratch Zoroark. That was it… He lost. N then, went right in front of him.

"I think we should stop now, don't you agree? You know you can't win and I don't want to hurt Oshawott. Now stand up and apologize properly."

Hilbert lowered his eyes and stood up without saying anything. His blood was boiling. The boy couldn't believe he lost so embarrassingly. Being blinded by anger he run away, without looking back. N shook his head and Hilda giggled.

"Please N, don't be mad at him. Hilbert always reacts like that but he is a good person. Well, most of the time. I feel bad though…"

N looked at her puzzled.

"Why?"

Then her cheeks turned red and she smiled shyly.

"Well, you helped me so much and I did nothing to thank you. Please let me return the favor. If there is something you want, anything…"

"Just continue to treat Pokémon the way you did until now. That is enough for me."

Hilda happily nodded. Not long after, both trainers said their farewells and their ways parted.

From a nearby tree a red haired girl was watching quietly the whole incident. Some of her hair was covering her right eye and the rest was in a loose ponytail. Her taste in clothes was very peculiar. A green blue jacket was covering a short, black, vertically lined strapless. Her trainer shoes perfectly matched the jacket and she was wearing an orange red pair of trousers. There also was a big, purple pendant on her neck. Next to her a baby Vulpix was sleeping. When the two trainers left she grinned mischievously.

"Busted! After two years, I finally found you, next Vessel of a sacred Child. "

She took a cell phone out of her pocket and dialed a number.

"Hello boss! Guess who I came across today! Yes, I found him. I have to admit that these bastards hid the boy pretty well. Did I kill him yet? You know, I can do that but I think he will be more useful for us alive. There is no way? Perhaps, a small trip to Unova will convince you otherwise. Don't worry I'm sure you won't regret it. In the meantime, I'll keep an eye on him, just to make sure he won't get into much trouble. Then, see you later!"

The girl hung up the phone, came down of the tree and started running at the north city entrance. She had to find N, as quickly as possible.


	5. Striaton1

About two days later, N finally arrived at Striaton. It was the first time he was visiting this city but, unlike most trainers, his reason was not the trio badge. He was there for the library. Except for the official Pokémon Gym, Striaton was also known for having one of the biggest libraries in the region, along with a big collection of books about Unova's mythology and history. So, if he wanted to gather more information about Zekrom and Reshiram, that place was a must to visit. After booking a room at the Pokémon center and leaving his Pokémon there, the boy went straight to the library only to find the place closed. The trainer sighed and crossed his arms. It couldn't be helped. He was going to come again tomorrow. On his way back to the center, N saw a small fast food restaurant and decided to eat something. While he was waiting for his order, he noticed one of the boys who were together with Hilda back in Accumula. The boy was talking on his Xtransceiver, probably with someone of his friends. N got a bit closer in order to hear him, just out of curiosity.

"…Yes I arrived at Striaton, not so long ago. What? Fennel wants to see me? She wants help for a job? Oh boy, what a burden… And I wanted to check the library tomorrow. You will do it, instead? Oh thank you, you are a life savior. Are you travelling together with someone? I hear noises nearby. Ah, you decided to travel together until Striaton. Great! Tell her I said hi. So, where Fennel will send you? Dreamyard? Isn't that place where, an important experiment was put to halt because an explosion destroyed everything, and all the Pokémon that were used for that experiment were left behind?"

"Excuse me for interrupting you from eavesdropping lad, but I brought your order. Would you like to pay now or shall I come back later?"

N startled and looked at the waiter a bit embarrassed. He nodded quickly and paid him. After the waiter left, N turned again his attention to the boy, hoping to hear him a bit more, but he had closed his Xtransceiver. Pity… That place he called Dreamyard seemed really interesting, though. The boy really wanted to hear the stories of the Pokémon living there and how humans treated them before the accident. So, tomorrow he was going to visit this place, after his job in the library was done…

Every Pokémon center had a security room, not only to keep them safe from burglars, but also for storing data from every trainer in existence. That way, the Pokémon federation could keep track on their progress and the Pokémon centers could provide them with various services such as free healing for their Pokémon and rooms for them to stay at night. Striaton's Pokémon center was no exception.

The guard, who was inside the room, was watching boringly the monitors. The man couldn't wait for his watch to end and return home after another dull day. It was not that he didn't like his job, but many times he thought he wasn't needed at all since nothing interesting ever happened. After a while, the door opened so he turned around waiting to see his colleague to tell him that he was off for today. Instead, he saw a baby Vulpix. The little Pokémon went timidly inside and it curiously looked around. The man smiled. He stood up and went closer to it. He took it and looked straight into its eyes.

"Hello there, little one. What are you doing here? You got lost, didn't you? Well, let's go and see the nurse. I'm sure she will find your owner."

Suddenly Vulpix's eyes turned gold and the guard felt really tired. Some seconds later he was lying unconscious on the floor, while the young Pokémon was running towards the door and growling. Then, door opened and the red haired girl went inside the room. After locking the door, she petted her Pokémon's head.

"Good job, good job! Even though, you took your time."

Then she went towards the computer where the trainers' archives were stored. After finding its USB ports, the girl plugged in a set of headphones with a microphone and a small USB flash drive. A few moments later, a Porygon-Z was appeared at the computer's screen.  
"Hey you, virus thing! Can you hear me?"

The Pokémon nodded.

"Great! Now listen what I want. You should find a person with these features: a male, around seventeen years old with long green hair, having at least three badges and owning a Zoroark. When you find him store the data inside the flash drive. And be quick. You have five minutes. If you are late even for a second I'm gonna break the flash drive in pieces with you inside it. Understand?"

The terrified Pokémon nodded and immediately started searching. Two minutes later, there were around one hundred results on the screen. The red haired girl groaned. They were too much…

"From these results find those persons whose name starts with N and have at least seven badges."

After a few seconds the results reduced to twenty. She smiled. Much better. After some searching the girl grinned mischievously.

"I found you. They think they hide you well, but no one escapes from me. Virus thing, save the entry number sixteen. And be quick."

When Porygon-Z finished, the girl put the USB inside her bag but when she was unplugging the headset, her Vulpix started growling. She turned around to see what happened. The guard was awake and he was pointing a gun at her. She froze. Sadly, her Vulpix was still pretty young and his Hypnosis attack wasn't very strong, so the man woke up sooner than she expected.

"Who are you and what the hell are you doing here? What do you want from the computer? Answer me or I'll shoot!"

The red haired girl grinned and shook her head. She put the headset inside her bag.

"I'm sorry boss. I promised you that I'm not gonna spill a drop of blood this time, but now I can't do differently. I hope you will forgive me. I tried really hard, I swear."

The guard looked at her angry.

"Stop spitting nonsense and answer me already! Or do you want a bullet inside your head?"

Then he fired his gun, but when the bullet reached the girl, it suddenly fell down without exploding. He tried again and again, but to no avail. When the gun was empty, the girl was getting closer. He threw the gun and run towards the door.

"It won't open. You know, I locked the door just in case."

Terrified, he stared at the girl, whose body was now covered with electricity. The last thing the man saw, was her right eye…


	6. Dreamyard1

I t was six o'clock in the morning, when N was on his way to the Dreamyard. Normally at this hour he should have been sleeping, but yesterday had in store a nasty surprise for him. When he returned to the Pokémon center, he saw police cars and a lot of people outside of the building yelling and protesting. Highly curious, he asked a person nearby what was going on. The boy learned that an explosion had happened at the center's security room and the center's director called the police, because they found the guard's corpse. So, until the police finished investigating, nobody was allowed inside the building. After that, N immediately found the nurses and demanded his Pokémon back, but they told him that this situation was also out of their hands. Angry and enraged, the boy then, left. After wandering around the city's streets for a couple of hours, he decided to go to the Dreamyard, since he had nothing better to do.

By the time N arrived, he looked around. The Dreamyard was actually an abandoned research facility in the middle of a small forest. Inside the building, many Pokémon had made their nests where there once were machines and furniture. He approached them and he was talking to them for a long time before he heard voices from the next room. The boy ran towards the wall and looked through a small hole. Two Plasma members were kicking a poor Munna in order to get the Dream Mist. His eyes opened wide and he was filled with anger. He was going to punish them heavily, that was for sure, but he had to stop them first.

"Hey, you two buffoons! Leave that Munna alone! Stop hurting it!"

When N heard that female voice, he looked again through the hole. The boy saw Hilda holding a Pokeball and another blond girl who was wearing a big green hat. He fell on his knees and put his hands on his head in panic. What the hell were they doing here? And on top of that, so early in the morning? Then, he remembered the boy from yesterday. He was talking with two people who were going to come early to the Dreamyard today, because of a job. Great… Just great… The boy had to help them, but how? If he showed up, those two idiots would recognize him and his cover would be blown. He also didn't have his Pokémon which made things even worse. He analyzed the situation again and again, but not a single solution came to his mind. He covered his face with his hands and clenched his teeth. It was one of the rare times in his life that he didn't know what to do.

"_**My baby! Somebody please save him! I'm not strong enough!"**_

N opened his eyes and saw a very scared Musharna on the other side of the room. The boy grinned and ran towards her…

Hilda was pointing a Pokeball at the two grunts. She remembered them from Acummula town. They were calling themselves Team Plasma or something. The girl was glaring at them, while her friend was hiding behind her back. The woman then stepped forward.

"Little girl, if you want to stop us so badly, why don't you defeat us in a Pokémon battle and show us who is the boss around here?"

The man laughed and Hilda clenched her teeth.

"Very well! If that's what you want! Go Panpour!"

Hilda threw the Pokeball she was holding and a Panpour came out. Then, both of them burst into laughing. A few seconds later the man grabbed a Pokeball from his belt and pointed it at the girl.

"A newbie thinking she can defeat us? Kids today are very spoiled, aren't they? "

He looked at the woman who was standing beside him.

"Let me do it. I'm gonna teach her a very good lesson."

She stepped aside and the man threw his Pokeball and a Watchog came out. Bad luck for Hilda, it seemed pretty strong but she couldn't turn back now. She had to protect that Munna no matter what.

"Panpour use water gun!"

The little Pokémon did its best but the Watchog dodged nimbly and stroke back with a strong thunderbolt. Panpour fainted instantly and the girl returned it back to its Pokeball. The man then got closer and grabbed her arm. The other girl screamed and began crying.

"That was it? Even for a newbie you are pathetic. Listen well, girl. You must learn to mind you own business or else bad things will happen. Like what I am going to do now."

Suddenly, he grabbed her other arm, while Hilda was struggling to escape. It was then that they heard someone coming. The man knocked her down and looked at the door.

"Who is it? Come out now before I lose my patience!"

When Hilda stood up she saw both grunts frozen with fear. She looked at the door and her eyes opened wide. It was Ghetsis. That was bad. She immediately got closer to Munna in an attempt to protect it, but the man completely ignored her. Instead, he headed toward his grunts.

"What the hell are you doing here?"

The woman started speaking.

"Sage Ghetsis we were collecting the dream mist just like you ordered. But then those brats -"

"Enough! Yes, I do recall ordering you to collect the dream mist, but I don't recall ordering you to scare little girls."

"But sage Ghetsis…"

"Silence! I am willing to forgive you this one time, but if what happened here ever leak out, I will kill both of you! Now get out of my sight, you bastards!"

The grunts left immediately, without looking back. Hilda looked at them as she was picking Munna up. Both of them were terrified. Then the green haired man smiled gently at her.

"Thank you, kind young trainer…"

After that, he vanished right before her eyes. At this moment, Hilda's eyes opened wide. Just what had happened?

"Good riddance! They deserved it for hurting a helpless Pokémon. Hilda, are you ok?"

The brunette turned around and saw N with a Pokémon. A broad grin shaped at her, previously surprised, face and she ran towards them.

"N! I am so glad you are here! Tell me, what happened right now?"

The boy smiled at her and took Munna in his arms.

"I will tell you everything, but you should go and see your friend first. I think she is still in shock."

Hilda nodded and run towards the blond girl. When he was sure that the baby was alright, he and both Pokémon approached the girls.

"Is everything alright here?"

Hilda smiled gently at him and the other girl shyly nodded with her green hat covering her mouth. Then, the brunette looked at him puzzled.

"Now tell me N, what is going on here?"

The boy laughed and petted the other Pokémon's head.

"This lady here is called Musharna. The Munna you tried to save was her baby. It was her that made Ghetsis appear."

The girl looked at him even more confused.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, let me explain. I was nearby when I heard people yelling. I wanted to see what was going on, so I run quickly towards the building. When I arrived, I found this lady hiding in the next room, frozen with fear. Then, I looked through a hole in the wall and saw those Plasma people holding you, the Munna lying down injured and this blond lady here crying in shock…"

"Bianca…"

N smiled at the blond girl, while her cheeks were turning red.

"N. So where was I? Ah, yes! As I was saying I saw a total chaos. I wanted to save both you and the baby so I asked for Musharna's help."

Hilda was still puzzled.

"I still don't understand how Ghetsis appeared, N."

The boy nodded and continued talking.

"Musharna usually release a gas from their foreheads, as part of their metabolism, which is called the dream mist. People named it like that because they believed it made dreams come true, but in reality it is just a hallucinogenic gas and a slightly toxic one too. So I asked Musharna to make an image of Ghetsis, with the help of the mist, in order to scare them away. I am sorry that I put you through this, but I nothing else came to my mind."

Both girls were staring at him with their mouths open. Hilda was impressed. N was great, that was for sure. He managed to protect Munna when she miserably failed. She lowered her eyes and fell silent. If only she was strong like him…Bianca on the other hand, screamed with joy.

"That was so cool! You were amazing N! Like a hero!"

N blushed a bit and lowered his eyes. The boy wasn't very good at taking compliments.

All this time, the red haired girl was watching them from the building's broken roof, while her Vulpix was sleeping inside her bag. She grinned at Bianca's statement and looked her purple pendant.

"A hero? What a childish thought. In this world there aren't heroes, stupid blonde. There are only persons who follow different ideals and truths. Good, evil… All these are just illusions created by people only to excuse their actions and judge the actions of others. But an idiot like you will never understand that."

Suddenly her phone rang.

"Yes? Oh, hello Blue, working hard? About the information I sent you the other day. Yes, those I borrowed from the Pokémon center. Did you find something about the boy? "


	7. Dreamyard End

"So tell me Hilda, what are you two doing here so early in the morning?"

The female trainer showed him a camera.

"We are here on an errand. A friend of professor Juniper, Fennel, asked us to observe the Munna population of the Dreamyard. She told us she was going to do it herself, but she was busy."

N nodded, but his face became awfully serious. Then, they heard footsteps coming towards them. N stood up, waiting to see those grunts from before, but thankfully, it was that boy from yesterday and a woman with long dark hair and a lab coat, probably that Fennel woman Hilda mentioned earlier. Bianca immediately ran toward them while she was yelling out the boy's name. Hilda instead, stood right beside N.

"I think I didn't thank you yet, did I?"

N looked at her and smiled.

"No, you didn't."

The girl giggled.

"Bianca is right. What you did was really amazing. You managed to create such a plan under so much pressure. I could never do that. You are so strong. "

The boy grinned and shook his head.

"You are wrong. Right now I am not strong enough. I can't solve the equation that will change the world. That's why I need power… Power enough to protect those who are important to me. That is my goal and the sole reason I became a trainer."

The girl lowered her eyes. She didn't quite catch what N said but he sounded very serious. Then the other boy approached them. He introduced himself as Cheren and thanked N for his help. He also blamed himself for everything. Hilda tried to tell him it wasn't his fault but the boy just kept apologizing profusely. After a while, Bianca and the other woman joined them. N was right from the beginning. The scientist was indeed Fennel, a professor who was studying Pokémon trainers. She told them she met Cheren outside of her laboratory in Striaton and when they heard that someone saw Team Plasma at the Dreamyard, they ran here immediately worrying about the girls' safety. N glared at her, but Fennel didn't seem to notice.

"Bianca, you and Hilda were really lucky. If it hadn't been for N, you would have been into serious trouble. And you found not only Munna, but Musharna too. That is absolutely great for my research."

The blond girl agreed.

"Yes, you are right professor Fennel. N was so cool! He can talk with Pokémon too. He was talking with Musharna so naturally and understood everything the Pokémon said."

The woman looked N really surprised.

"Is that true N? Can you really communicate with Pokémon?"

The boy nodded, while Cheren was looking at him quite skeptical. Fennel's face then, beamed with joy.

"Magnificent. Then, can you do me a favor? Will you ask Musharna for some of her Dream Mist? It could be a big help for-"

"Why, aren't two lab rats enough for you? You need more?"

The woman suddenly turned pale and her eyes opened wide. The other trainers looked N, quite puzzled as well.

"What… do you mean? I don't understand…"

He laughed and glared at her extremely angry.

"I think you understand completely. Up until yesterday you have been a regular visitor here, so you had plenty of opportunities to observe the Munna population. Instead, you sent Juniper's trainers to do it. I wonder why…"

"I… was very busy."

"Then what are you doing here?"

"I told you, I was worried about the girls!"

N could feel his blood boiling. Lying was something he could not tolerate.

"I believe you were more worried about your reputation. If something bad happened to them, people would blame you. Then, all your efforts would have been wasted away. Fame, money… Those are the only things you care about. People like you…I totally despise them!"

When the boy finished talking, his eyes opened wide and covered his mouth with his hand. Only then he realized what he said. For some reason, he felt like trash, even though he was telling the truth. The boy lowered his eyes and clenched his fists in anger. Unable to control his emotions, he ran away.

When N stopped running, he looked around and realized he was still inside the forest of Dreamyard. Then, he came closer to a nearby tree and punched it. Yes, the boy was still angry, but not with Fennel. He was angry with himself. Not only had he gotten mad and accused Fennel without evidence, he also ran away like a coward afterwards. That was not something a king should do. A king must be brave and ready to face anyone. He thought he was perfect but in reality he had still so much to learn.

"N! Wait!"

The boy turned around and saw Hilda running as fast as she could. That really surprised him. The girl had no reason to follow him, especially after what he did. Either way, he felt relieved for some reason. When she reached the boy, she looked at him worried, after taking some deep breaths.

"Why you suddenly got mad and ran away? What happened?"

"Fennel tricked both you and Bianca. She sent you to do something she could easily do herself. She didn't even warn you about the dream mist. Do you know why? Fennel just wanted to see your reactions to the hallucinogenic gas. That's why she gave you the camera. That woman just used you and Bianca for the sake of her research."

Hilda was staring at him with her mouth wide open.

"How do you know that? Maybe she was telling the truth and was just very busy…"

"Pokémon told me that a woman resembling her has been coming here every day for several months now. It wasn't hard to figure out the rest."

The brunette took a sad look.

"I see… We were completely fooled by her. I feel like an idiot."

A broad grin shaped at the boy's face. He covered it with his hand, but he wasn't sure if he actually managed to hide it. She believed him.

"Just don't trust everybody from now on. Well, I have to go now. Farewell, Hilda."

The boy waved his hand and started walking away, but suddenly the girl grabbed his arm.

"N, please… wait a moment. I have… a favor to ask. "

N turned around and looked at her. She had her eyes lowered and her face was as red as a tomato. He smiled. He found the girl to be as cute as a baby Minccino.

"N, I decided I want to be strong like you in order to protect my Pokémon. But right now… I can't do anything. So please N…travel with me even for a short time. Teach me how to battle and… make me strong. I know I am asking too much but I will repay you in any way you want I promise! So… please accept. I beg you!"

Her words took the boy by surprise, but he knew the right answer was to decline straight away. He was Team Plasma's king while she was a trainer. She was trying to capture as many Pokémon as she could, while he was doing his best to set them free. Moreover, if his father's henchmen saw them together, both of them would be doomed. Of course, that girl fascinated him, but he couldn't take the risk. He had to find a way to turn her down without being rude, but how? The girl didn't mean harm, she just wanted to be… strong. That was it. Hilda was awful at battles so he could use this at his advantage.

"Fine I will come with you. I have one condition, though. In three days from now, you will challenge the Striaton Gym and if you win, I will travel with you until Nimbasa city. What do you say? Will you take the bet?"

Hilda's face beamed with joy. She shook N's hands countless times and thanked him again and again. After that, the two trainers walked away. When they left the Dreamyard, the red haired girl came out. She looked at the sky and laughed.

"She believed you? Bullshit. She just told you what you wanted to listen, because she needs your help, naïve idiot. Either way, that's an interesting turn of events. Actually, this fluffy haired girl can prove herself quite useful in the long run. So I have to make sure they will travel together, no matter what. That's why the condition N set bothers me. Also, the fact that this girl can't even beat a Magikarp doesn't help at all. Well, I guess it can't be helped. I have to train her myself just this once."

The girl stretched and yawned.

"Boy, I'm terribly bored. I have been stalking N for all these days but nothing exciting happened. Let's hope things will be more interesting from now on. Oh well, better go to find those two, or else the boss will be terribly angry."

Then, she closed her eyes and vanished into thin air.


	8. The Outcome

Three days later Hilda was waiting for N right in front of the city's best restaurant, which also happened to be the Striaton Gym. She was quite nervous but also very exhausted. All this training was a real pain, though she had to admit she learnt a lot. A few minutes later, the boy arrived.

"Good morning Hilda. Today is the big day. I hope that you trained hard."

The girl nodded.

"You bet! I will win this battle for sure!"

The boy laughed softly and grabbed her hand.

"You sound very enthusiastic, I like that. So, shall we get inside? I am very eager to see your battle."

All this time, a brunette was watching them from afar.

"Good luck brat. You will definitely need it. Now let's dye my hair back to their previous color and get rid of these old clothes. "

When the two trainers went inside the restaurant, a young man approached them. He was wearing a waiter costume and a white apron. When he was right in front of them he smiled gently and bowed.

"Good morning and welcome to our restaurant. My name is Cress and I will be your host for today. So, it's a table for two?"

The boy shook his head, while Hilda was blushing. Everyone assumed that she had a crush on N these days.

"No, actually we are here to challenge the gym."

A broad grin was shaped on Cress' face and looked N very determined.

"It would be a pleasure to battle against you, sir. I will use my best Pokémon for this match."

Then, Hilda stepped forward and put her hand on her chest.

"Sorry, but you got it wrong. The one who came here to challenge the gym is me. My name is Hilda and this is N. It's nice to meet you Cress!"

Cress smiled awkwardly and nodded. He had just made a stupid mistake.

"I am really sorry, miss Hilda. Of course, I will be glad to battle you too. Please come with me. I will introduce you to the others."

The girl blinked.

"Others?"

The gym leader laughed softly.

"In Striaton, there are three leaders who run the gym. Now please, follow me."

N and Hilda did as they told and after a while, they were sitting around a table waiting for Cress to return with the rest gym leaders. The boy observed the girl and noticed she was trembling.

"Are you feeling well, Hilda? You were pretty excited before, but now you are trembling."

"I'm nervous. It's my first gym battle and this entire thing is new to me. I don't know what to do. Besides, I really want to win."

N smiled and put his hand on her shoulder.

"I understand. Try not thinking too much about it. Even if you lose, you will try again."

The girl looked at him with sad eyes. Before she could reply, Cress returned bringing two more boys with him. They introduced themselves as Chili and Cilan and were both Cress siblings and leaders of the gym. After introductions were over Cress started explaining the rules.

"Before we begin, can I ask you a question, miss Hilda? Are you a trainer from Juniper?"

The girl nodded.

"Yes, that's right. I received my Snivy from her, but why you ask all of sudden?"

The three brothers looked each other and nodded. Then Cilan tried to explain.

"You see… It has to do why the three of us are all here…it's to decide which one of us you will battle and…um…"

Chili then slapped his neck.

"Oh enough already! Not only you talk as fast as a Ferrothorn, you also make no sense! Listen Hilda! Since you received a starter from Juniper, it means you are a trainer officially chosen by the federation, am I right? So you will have to battle the one of us who has a type advantage over your starter, and that one happens to be me! Oh boy, I'm all fired up! You federation trainers usually give awfully good matches!"

Before Hilda could react, Chili took her hand and dragged her along all the way to the stadium door, leaving the other three boys behind. Both Cilan and Cress signed annoyed, while N was looking at the door obviously puzzled. He didn't quite understand what happened.

After a while, N and Cress were sitting on the stadium's seats waiting for Hilda and Chili to come. Cilan was standing in the middle of the stadium. He was going to be the judge of this battle.

"The battle will begin in a few minutes. To tell the truth, I really wanted to battle you, since you look like a really experienced trainer. We are usually challenged by beginners so an opportunity to battle someone like you is actually quite rare. That's why I wonder what a trainer of your caliber is doing here. You should be challenging the Pokémon league by now. Instead you are here, helping a girl who just started her journey. Really, what is your relationship with miss Hilda? You don't look like relatives. I can tell you are not close friends, either."

N looked Cress really annoyed.

"Mind you own business."

Then the stadium door opened and both Hilda and Chili came out and took their places while Cilan was announcing the battle conditions. A single battle with an hour time limit and each trainer was allowed to use two Pokémon. After hearing those rules, N turned his attention to Cress.

"Don't you think that those rules are a bit hard for a beginner? Especially the time limit."

Cress answered him, obviously surprised that N finally talked to him.

"As you already know, when a trainer is chosen by the federation he or she enjoys many privileges such as gift Pokémon or free items. In an attempt to balance things, the federation told us, the gym leaders, to give them harder challenges and use stronger Pokémon against them. So, even though I agree with you, I can't do anything about it."

N covered his mouth with his hand, trying to hide a wide grin. That was good… Very good. Hilda had no chance to win. She could only hope for a miracle.

When both trainers were ready Cilan announced the start of the battle. Hilda chose her Snivy and Chili sent out a Lillipup.

"Lillipup use work up"

"Quick Snivy we must finish it before its attack rise to dangerous levels! Vine whip!"

Suddenly huge vines came from Snivy's back and they were hitting Chili's Pokémon. Hilda smiled.

"Bulls eye!"

Chili grinned.

"Quite good! But this battle has just started. Lillipup use work up again."

"Snivy use vine whip again! Full strength!"

"Work up once again!"

"Don't hesitate! Use vine whip!"

Hilda was sure that the last vine whip would finish Lillipup, but when she saw it standing at its feet her eyes opened wide. Just what was wrong with this Pokémon? It was like its skin was made of steel.

"Surprised, Hilda? This Lillipup is trained in defense and endurance. It can take hits like a champ! The bad thing is that his attacks are not very strong, but after three work ups we can kick anyone's butt! Lillipup use bite!"

Lillipup obeyed immediately. It bit Snivy's tail and tossed it at the nearby wall. Hilda terrified, ran towards her Pokémon.

"My friend, are you okay? Can you continue?"

The Pokémon nodded but it could barely stand. One more attack and they were finished.

"Now let's finish it! Lillipup use bite one more time!"

"Snivy use energy ball!"

The Pokémon did exactly what his trainer order and a few seconds before Lillipup bit his tail, he fired a ball of green light at it. After the smoke cleared out Snivy was barely standing but Lillipup was lying on the floor. Chili returned it to its Pokeball and smiled sadly while N was staring at them with his mouth wide open. What the… energy ball? How was that even possible? Snivy could only learn that move via technical machine but most trainers gain access to it after obtaining four or more badges. How she was able to obtain it at this point?

_**Three days ago…**_

_Hilda was really determined to win the bet no matter what. That's why she woke up very early and went straight to the Dreamward. Cheren had told her that many rookie trainers use this place to hone their skills, so she decided to give it a try. When she arrived, she immediately started training together with her Pokémon. They worked really hard, but after a few hours they decided to take a break. While they were eating, she heard someone laughing behind her. The girl turned around and saw another female trainer with a Vulpix. A white straw hat was covering her long brown hair and she had an eye patch on her right eye. She was wearing a green blue blouse and an orange red miniskirt. Hilda glared at her quite angry._

"Why are you laughing? We didn't do anything funny."

_The other girl looked at her and smiled, an action that gave Hilda the chills. The girl although quite beautiful, was emitting an eerie and dangerous aura. _

"Sorry, but you are so pathetic I couldn't hold myself. As an apology, let me give you an advice. Give it up. You are not trainer material. Maybe a breeder or a coordinator would be a better choice for you."

_Hilda lowered her eyes._

"Yes you are right, I'm not very strong. But I want to give it my all. I have to win this badge. Only then he will travel with me…"

_When Hilda realized what she said, she covered her mouth with her hands and her face turned red. The other trainer got closer and grabbed her shoulder._

"So you want to impress a boy, huh? Isn't it usually the other way around?"

_Hilda moved her arms frantically._

"No you misunderstood! He is a good friend!"

_The other girl burst into laughing once again._

"Oh boy, you are so pitiful even I was moved. Fine, I will help you with your training."

_Hilda's eyes opened wide. She didn't know if she should feel offended or grateful._

"_Really?"_

"Yes. But first, we must toughen your Pokémon up. Here, catch!"

_The girl then threw Hilda some discs. When she caught them and realized the discs were actually technical machines, she became quite surprised. Technical machines were pretty rare and expensive and in order to obtain them someone must be extremely talented or very rich._

"Those contain energy ball and scald. Teach them to your Pokémon before we begin. Don't worry. With my help, you will have that badge before you know it."

_Hilda looked once again the technical machines._

"Thanks a lot miss…"

"June. And don't thank me at all. Now hurry up. Our time is very precious to waste it on blabbering."

…


	9. The Outcome End

Hilda smiled and gave Snivy a big hug. They barely won this round, but it was still too early to celebrate. If they didn't manage to win the second round in about half an hour, it was over. After a five minute break, Cilan announced the start of the next battle. Chili send out a Pansear and Hilda chose her Panpour. The girl looked a bit worried. According to June, Pansear was Chili's strongest Pokémon, so she had to use strong attacks from the very beginning in order to win. At the same time, N was awfully stressed. The odds were stacked against him. As if Hilda winning the first round was not enough, now she had a type advantage. The only way for Chili to win, was to take advantage of the time limit. But could he do it? N was very sure, this Panpour also had a powerful move that Hilda was going to use for a smooth and easy victory.

"You brought a water type? This battle is gonna be very interesting! I'm on fire now! Once again, you federation trainers didn't disappoint me!"

"Thanks! We will win for sure! We won't go easy on you, Chili!"

"Exactly what I wanted to hear! Now, Pansear use lick!"

"Panpour use Scald!"

Panpour shot hot water at his opponent, but not before Pansear licked his face. Suddenly the blue ape felt body go numb and he was walking slowly. Hilda ran toward her Pokémon.

"Panpour are you okay? What happened?"

Chilli grinned.

"Lick's aftereffect is paralysis. That will make things more difficult for you."

Hilda lowered her eyes while N was watching them a bit more relieved. So that red haired hyperactive Aipom actually had a plan. He used paralysis in order to make Panpour slower and less accurate. That way, not only he was going to take full advantage of the time restriction (paralysis was going to cause many missed hits, so wasting time was guaranteed), he could also hope for a lucky knockout (due to Panpour's paralysis, Pansear was always going to hit first). But was it really going to work? Pansear was awfully worn out and if Hilda's Pokémon managed to hit him one more time the battle was over. Now that he thought about it, it was more of a gamble than a plan. Cress was watching the boy for a long time now.

"Interesting battle, don't you think mister N? But why are you so worried? Miss Hilda is doing extremely well so far. It's almost like you yearn for her to lose."

N turned his attention to Cress. That boy sure was annoying, sticking his nose in other people's business…

Hilda was cornered for good. All this time, Panpour didn't manage to hit even once. On the other hand Chili's Pokémon landed many attacks. Cilan then, announced that they had only two minutes left. She had only one chance. This final attack was going to decide everything.

"Panpour, use scald one final time!"

"Do you think it will work? Please! Pansear use scratch!"

The red monkey scratched once again the face of his opponent, but this time the miracle Hilda was hoping for, came true. Panpour managed to land his scald attack right on Pansear's face. Right after that Cilan announced the end of the battle and congratulated Hilda for her victory. Cress turned his attention to N. The boy was stood up and was staring at the stadium with his mouth wide open. Cress grinned and put his hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Congratulations on your friend mister N. She showed us an excellent battle. I can also see how 'happy' you are right now. You really wanted her to 'win', am I right? Now if you excuse me. I have to prepare the victor's gift, according to federation's rules."

Without saying anything else, the gym leader left the stadium.

Hilda was staring at the box Chili was holding. Inside it, it was the Trio badge, the reason she gave that hard battle today. Cilan told her that it was hers to take but for some reason, the girl was hesitating. Maybe she still couldn't believe that she won. Chili was obviously annoyed.

"Hilda, enough already! You are looking this damn box for five minutes. What is your problem? You won, take it! It's yours now!"

Then the girl reluctantly put her hand inside the box and grabbed the badge. When she held it in her hands, her face took a very happy expression, as she looked at the stadium's seats.

"N! I did it! I won!"

Her cheerful attitude made the boy's surprised face to suddenly turn calm. He smiled and waved back at her. Yes she won and yes he was now forced to travel with her. But on second thought, it didn't seem that bad. Deep inside him, he wanted to observe the girl some more. She was… interesting to say at least. Moreover, he gave her his word and a king never breaks his promises.

Some time later, N, Hilda and Cress were outside of the gym.

"My friends, I wish you good luck in your future travels together and miss Hilda good luck on your next gym challenges."

Hilda shook his hand and smiled.

"Thanks a lot Cress. I hope we will meet again. And thanks for the technical machine too!"

The gym leader shook his head.

"There is no need to thank me for that. You won it fair and square. Also, mister N, take good care of your friends. They are your power, not your shackle. Never forget that. And in case you suddenly feel the need for more badges, please feel free to challenge our gym. I will gladly be your opponent."

N didn't say anything. He just signed and shook his hand. After that everyone went their own separate ways. Hilda and N went straight for the city's exit and Cress returned to the restaurant.

Later that day, Cilan was running away from the restaurant as fast as he could. He was obviously in a hurry. At the last moment, they realized that they were out of tea and as usual, his brothers sent him to buy it. The bad news was that it was quite late so there was a big chance to find the tea shop closed. After he barely made it, he took his way back to the restaurant.

"Mister! Mister! You are the gym leader, right? Can… can I ask you a question?"

Cilan stopped walking and turned around. A raid haired girl with a Vulpix was running toward him. He had never seen her and from her clothes, he supposed she was a Pokémon trainer. The gym leader blushed a bit. He was always shy around women.

"If you want a battle… we are closed. Maybe tomorrow…"

The girl smiled and shook her head.

"Ah, you got it wrong. I just want some information."

The boy blinked.

"I-Information?"

"Yes, that's right. You know, today a green haired man together with a brat-I mean a brunette came to challenge your gym. She and I are best friends. I really, really wanted to see her battle, but because I had to dye my hair- eh something very important came up, I wasn't able to. So can you tell me if she won?"

Cilan blinked again and smiled awkwardly. This girl was definitely weird. She was also emitting an eerie aura, despite her carefree personality.

"If you mean Hilda, yes she won. "

The girl's face beamed with joy and she laughed maliciously.

"Yes! My plan was a total success! Now I have to find them and…"

"Eh… They left the city a few hours ago… I think."

Suddenly, the girl was frozen in fear. She looked at Cilan completely terrified.

"They… left? Where to? Tell me!"

"I-I think they are heading to Nacrene. That's the next city with a gym."

Then she ran away leaving a troubled Cilan behind. June couldn't afford to lose them now. The first phase of her plan had just started and if something bad happened to N, everything would be over in a matter of seconds. Taking the boy at their side was something she should accomplish at all costs.


	10. Day Care Center

A few days later N and Hilda were at the Pokémon day care center. They were passing by and the boy was really curious about this place. His father never told him anything about it. So, when Hilda told him that in day care they were accepting money in exchange for taking care of trainers' Pokémon, he became furious. As a result, he asked the girl if they could stop there for a while, so he would see himself what kind of place it was. When they arrived he saw something very different from what he imagined. It was a small building with a huge backyard next to a small kindergarten. The backyard was surrounded by a somewhat tall fence and in front of the kindergarten there was a playground.

"Good day to you, my friends? What can this old man do for you?"

Both trainers turned around and saw an old man with a Zebstrika, which was holding two heavy sacks. Hilda observed him a bit. He was in his seventies, bald with a big mustache. N, on the other hand, turned his attention to the Zebstrika. The boy was left totally speechless. It was happy! In fact it was one of the happiest Pokémon he had seen in his life. Hilda then, cheerfully greeted the old man.

"Hello mister! Nice to meet you! My name is Hilda and this is my friend N. We are trainers travelling through Unova and we came here to see the place."

The man smiled and nodded.

"Nice to meet you too, little miss. My name is Alex. I run this place together with my wife, Barbara. So, are you here to leave a Pokémon? "

The girl shook her head.

"Ah, no! N just really wanted to see this place. He wanted to learn more about the day care."

Alex then, laughed softly and turned to the boy who was still in shock.

"Well, young man, what do you like to know? I will gladly answer all you questions."

N looked at him with his eyes wide open.

"Your Pokémon… they are happy! I have never seen a Pokémon as happy as this Zebstrika!"

Those worlds made Alex blush. He laughed out loud.

"Thank you very much lad! To tell the truth, you are the first person ever telling me that. You know, Pokémon are part of my family, so it is very important to make them happy."

The man's words left N totally confused. Family? He came here waiting to see cold and greedy people who see Pokémon only as way to make easy money. Instead of that, he saw a kindhearted old man who treated Pokémon as equals. N never thought he would meet such a person besides Hilda. Could it be that… his father was wrong? That there were other people like him, who cherish and love Pokémon?

"N, are you ok? You seem kinda lost…"

The boy then came back to reality. He was lost in his thoughts. He raised his eyes and saw Hilda who seemed a bit worried. He smiled.

"Yes I am fine. This place brought back some memories from my childhood, that's all."

N turned to the old man.

"Alex can you do me a favor? Can I talk with the Pokémon here?"

"Yes of course. My little friends really like the company of humans. That's why I build this place near this kindergarten. Follow me N."

The boy nodded and did what he was told.

A couple of minutes later, N was behind the fence and he was talking with the Pokémon of the day care. Hilda wasn't with him. She wanted to help Alex with some Pokémon eggs. After a while, the girl found him and she was really scared.

"N, it is terrible! Team Plasma… they..."

N put his hand on her shoulder and stroked her hair in an attempt to calm her.

"Relax, take some deep breaths! They didn't do anything bad to you, did they?"

The girl shook her head.

"N-No, but they stole a Pokémon from a young girl! Cheren and Bianca tried to stop them but…"

"I understand. Come, let's go outside. We will see what we can do then."

The girl nodded and followed him. When both of them arrived at the kindergarten N saw a really pissed Cheren and Bianca trying to calm down a crying girl.

"Where did they go?"

Cheren looked at him angrily.

"If I knew, I wouldn't be here right now..."

N smirked.

"Of course you would, since you lost."

The boy lowered his eyes in embarrassment and Hilda showed them her map.

"According to this map, the roads splits right here. If you take this route, you will end up in Nacrene, while the other road is leading to Wellspring Cave."

After a while Cheren talked.

"I believe they went to the cave. It is a very good place to hide and it isn't that far away from here. The city could be a more dangerous choice. You know, police and stuff."

Bianca and Hilda nodded while N walked away.

"I am going to find them, since I am the only one here who has a chance against them. You three stay here."

Cheren then, ran towards him and grabbed his shoulder.

"I am coming with you. I will help you."

"No. You will only slow me down. Stay here until I return."

After that, he summoned his Archeops from his Pokeball and flew away, leaving behind a very pissed Cheren. The boy then took his bag and left. He was going to teach N a good lesson for embarrassing him in front of his friends.

After a lot running, Cheren finally reached the crossroad. He stopped to rest for a minute and then he continued running.

"Hey, you! Glasses! Wait!"

The boy stopped and turned around only to see a red haired girl running towards him. Great… He didn't have time for that now. When she reached him, she moved ahead a few steps and smiled.

"Sorry, but I can't let you pass through this point."

Cheren's eyes opened wide. What the hell was that now?

"Listen, I don't have time for stupid games. Three team Plasma grunts passed through here and I'm on my way to find them. So let me pass!"

"Nope."

The boy could feel his blood boiling.

"And why is that?"

The girl was still smiling happily.

"Because, if you pass, you will feel a lot of pain."

Cheren became very angry. What bullshit was she spitting right now? Not only she was slowing him down for apparently no reason, she was mocking him right on his face. He ignored her and started running once again, but after a few steps, the boy felt a terrible pain throughout his body, as if he was struck by electricity. After a loud cry he fell on the ground, unable to move. Then, the girl approached him.

"Chet, even though I have warned you. You know, glasses, you must be really stupid. Normally I should have killed you right here and now, but since you are brat's friend you might have your uses. So I will let you live, I guess."

Cheren was terrified. He tried to think what he should do, but he couldn't. His mind was completely blank. Suddenly, he was stood up. But how? He couldn't even move his little finger, let alone his whole body. It was more like he was floating… Telepathy? Was this girl able to use telepathy? No… that was plain crazy. Then… a Pokémon? But there weren't any Pokémon with her. He tried as hard as he could but he wasn't able to reach to a conclusion. The girl then raised the boy's head and looked into his eyes.

"Right now you are wondering who the hell am I, right? Well I have many names. The virus, the parasite, the anomaly and many more. I prefer the name June, though. I like it the most. As for my story… Well, let's save it for another time."

Cheren was staring at her awfully confused. June smiled. She fondled gently his face and took his glasses off.

"And now that I answered your question, scram!"

All of sudden, the boy felt a strong force pulling him backwards and a few seconds later, he couldn't see the girl anymore. He also heard a strong thud and after that he lost his senses. June then, appeared right in front of him.

"Oops… You landed on a tree. Well, bad luck!"

She found the boy's Xtransceiver and pressed its big button. A list of names appeared on its screen. June chose Hilda's name and suddenly the device started ringing.

"Don't worry glasses, I just called brat to come and pick you up. Sorry, I would like to stay a bit longer but I have a road to guard. None of you must learn that N is the leader of team Plasma. Not now, at least."

After putting the glasses back to Cheren's face she disappeared.


	11. Wellspring Cave and Nacrene City

N was at the first level of Wellspring cave and he was waiting near the entrance. Earlier, he had seen his father's henchmen entering the cave and heading to the basement level. All of them were men and by looking at their uniforms, low ranking grunts. He could easily beat them if he wanted, but the problem was lying elsewhere. If he was going to comfort them face to face, his father would definitely learn about it and the boy didn't want that to happen. So he had to find another way. Suddenly, he noticed pebbles and dust falling from the cave's ceiling followed by a small earthquake. The boy also saw a huge flock of Woobat coming out from the second level's entrance. After that, the entrance was blocked by some big rocks. He smirked and fixed his hat. Then one of the Woobat went next to him. The boy petted its head.

"Did you find it, my friend?"

The Pokémon nodded.

"_**Of course I did. What did you take me for?**_"

"Thank you for your help. Can you give it to me now?"

"_**Yeah, why not? Just wait a minute.**_"

Suddenly, the Woobat emitted a black aura and in a few seconds, Zoroark was in its place. He searched inside his fur for a bit and then gave N a Pokeball.

"You did a great job, my friend. As expected of you. Now let's go. I don't know for how long these rocks will hold them down."

Zoroark nodded and N returned him back to his Pokeball. Then, he left the cave. Outside a Gigalith and an Excadrill were waiting for him. N smiled and approached them.

"My friends, I don't know how to thank you. If it wasn't for you, I would never be able to retrieve the stolen item."

The Gigalith shook his head.

"_**No human, it was really you, who helped us out. Those Woobat were getting really annoying. Even though we agreed to give them the first level they demanded and the second after a while. They took our homes and food. We wanted to get rid of them. So, it is us, who owe you a favor.**_"

The Excadrill agreed.

"_**My friend is right human. You came up with a great plan. First you blend in Zoroark with their flock and when he was ready, I ordered my Drilbur to cause an earthquake to scare them away. In all this panic Zoroark managed to steal your item from those humans. Then, when the Woobat left the second level Gigalith's Boldore threw rocks, sealing the hole and trapping your foes inside. And don't worry because those humans will open it after a while. We will seal it again and dig a new hole. One those troublemakers will never find.**_"

"Thank you for your kind words, but that was an easy formula, a simple equation. I have to go now, before they escape. Farewell, my friends. I hope we will meet again."

Then the boy summoned his Archeops and flew back to the day care center. He thanked god that everything went well. He was sure that Cheren followed him and if he was able to catch him in the cave, his identity would be in danger. That's why he was eternally grateful to whatever slowed Cheren down. There was something that was troubling him, though. Why he helped this little girl? What made him so willing to go against his own people? Was it because… Hilda asked him? He thought about it again and again but not a single answer came to his mind. The only thing he realized was that only the thought of her,made him happy…

After a week, Hilda and N had already arrived at Nacrene city. It was Hilda's first time visiting the place and she found it a bit peculiar. The fact that the city's committee decided to reuse the old warehouses, built about a century ago, as homes impressed her. N also told her, that this city was a popular place among artists who were using these warehouses as a source of inspiration.

After leaving their Pokémon at the Pokémon center and booking rooms they went at Café Warehouse in order to make a plan for the next day. Hilda had learnt from Bianca about this place. The blond told her that it was one of the most famous cafés in the whole region and many famous artists were gathering there. So, this place was a must visit. Of course, N didn't like the idea at all, the boy actually hated crowded places, but the girl managed to persuade him in the end.

"Well Hilda, we will stay here for a week, at least. Lenora is pretty good and we must train really hard in order for you to win. She specializes in Pokémon of the normal type, all of them strong and fast. So we must focus on…"

The girl was listening to him, as she was playing with her drinking straw. N was really very kind and he was helping her as he promised and all but that was about it. He was rarely talking about something else besides Pokémon and he was also very distant. Hilda wanted to get closer to him, to learn more about him. What kind of person he is, what he likes, what he hates…

"N, can I ask you something?"

The boy blinked.

"Yes, of course. Whatever you want."

"Why do you only have five Pokémon? I mean, you are very strong and most trainers like you have a complete team."

The boy then lowered his eyes and covered his mouth with his hand. Hilda observed him. He seemed like he couldn't decide if he should tell her or not. The girl sighed and smiled. She purposely asked a question about Pokémon, so he could feel more at ease but she didn't know it would make him feel so uneasy.

"It's okay if you don't want to tell me N. I understand. I'm sorry if I asked something personal. I thought it wasn't a big deal so-"

"Reshiram and Zekrom. I want my last friend to be one of those two."

Hilda's eyes opened wide and she was staring him with her mouth wide open. She was frozen with surprise. The girl couldn't understand if N was making fun of her or if he was serious. When she realized that N was indeed serious, Hilda looked at him worried.

"N, these are myths. Nobody has ever seen them. The only things that exist about them are stories and folklore. I'm sorry to say that, but… those Pokémon aren't real."

N looked at her sadly.

"I-I think you are wrong. Nobody has ever seen them because they are dead. They died in the battle of truths and ideals. But, in reality, they have been waiting for a new hero so they can be reborn. And I believe I am one of those heroes."

Hilda was very surprised by what she heard. She couldn't believe it. N, who was usually so calm and sensible, still believed these fairy tales. Specifically, he reminded her of her little cousin when he told her that when he grew up, he was going to be a giant robot with lasers.

"Okay let's say that I believe those tales. Do you really think you can control them when they wake up? No offence N, I know you are very strong and all, but what makes you believe that those really powerful Pokémon will obey to someone like you or me? There are so many skilled trainers out there that-"

Then the boy stood up while slamming his hands on the table. Hilda stopped talking and looked at him very surprised. His face was bright red and he was clenching his teeth. He was staring her, his eyes red with anger. It was the first time she saw him like that.

"You don't believe in me either, am I right Hilda? I thought you were different! That I could trust you! But I was wrong! You are like everyone else! You never really believed me, you just lied because you wanted my help! You think I am a freak, right? A crazy lunatic who believes he can talk with Pokémon!"

The girl stood up. She was really panicked.

"N-No N, you are wrong! I-I never thought any of these things! To me y-you are a precious friend! I'm sorry I was rude, please forgive me!"

N then lowered his eyes and shook his head. He walked away but the girl suddenly grabbed his arm.

"Please N, don't leave! I promise I won't say anything about it ever again, please!"

He turned around and raised his arm.

"Can you just shut up for once?"

Then he slapped her face. After that, he froze up. N looked at the girl. She was holding her red cheek and had her eyes lowered. She didn't say anything else. He panicked. The boy didn't know what to do. He tried to embrace her, but for some reason he hesitated.

"H-Hilda I am sorry… I-I didn't want to hurt you, I-I just…"

The girl raised her head. She was crying. And the reason was him. He made his one and only human friend sad. Or were they still friends after what he did? N couldn't look at her eyes anymore. Once again he succumbed to his feelings and ran away, leaving her behind. He felt like thrash…

A few hours later, N was at the Pokémon center, still very sad. He was sitting on a chair alone, lost in his own thoughts. Hilda hadn't returned yet. The boy was thinking what happened again and again but that only made him to feel worse.

"Hello, handsome. I see you sitting here alone for a couple of hours and I thought that you might want some company. My name is June."

N then came back to reality. He raised his head and saw a red haired girl with a Vulpix standing in front of him. He immediately ignored her and covered his eyes with his hands. June just sat next to him.

"It's about a girl, isn't it?"

N shocked, looked at her.

"Surprised? Well, when I see a boy sad it's usually because a girl broke his heart. But don't worry. With your looks you will find a new sweetheart in no time, I'm sure."

The boy shook his head.

"It was not her fault. It was me… We had a disagreement and then I got mad. I tried to leave but she grabbed my arm. Then I turned around and… I am an idiot. I am not worthy to be her friend. She will never forgive me."

Then he covered his eyes once again and sighed heavily. June looked at him totally indifferent. In her opinion, the boy was such a drama queen. Her Vulpix yawned.

"Then why don't you just apologize?"

"I said I was sorry, but she started crying. Do you know any other way to apologize?"

June's eyes opened wide. This boy was a complete moron, unlike what Blue told her.

"Well, you can do some of the usual stuff. You know, buy her a gift or some flowers and treat her to dinner."

The boy's face beamed.

"Are you sure these formulas are going to work?"

"Definitely."

N then thanked her and ran away, but the girl grabbed his arm.

"Where are you going? Do you know where she is?"

He shook his head sadly. June sighed.

"As expected. Can you describe her? Maybe I met her on my way here."

N did as he was told and after some thought, June smiled at him.

"I think I saw her at the museum. If you are lucky she might be still there."

N thanked her many times and left in a hurry. June then burst into laughing. She sat on the chair and petted her Pokémon's head. She raised her hand and looked at her palm, smiling.

"And the troubles begin in five, four, three, two, one…"

**Meanwhile… **

It was winter in Sinnoh at this time of the year and a heavy one too, especially compared with the previous one. Not that the rest of the year was much warmer. Sinnoh was located north and that's why many people called it one of the coldest regions on the planet. Gabe was at the Pokémon League's reception and he was looking the snow from the window. He was dressed very lightly, wearing only a jacket and a long scarf over his clothes, but that was the fashion this winter, so he couldn't do otherwise. As a professional, he had to be the best at his job, regardless of the situations. After a while, a door opened and a woman came out.

"The elite four are ready to see you now, mister Eldritch. Please come inside."

The boy nodded and followed her. If someone saw him right now, they would suppose that he was there to challenge the Pokémon League, but that was not the case. When he finally got into the room, he saw four people, three men and an old woman, sitting around a table. He gulped. Gabe knew he wasn't welcome here and for a good reason. One of the men then, Gabe thought his name was Flint, came closer. He observed him a little and then he looked at the woman from the reception.

"Who is this girl? I thought Cynthia said it was a boy."

Gabe lowered his eyes. He really wanted to give him an appropriate answer, but the mood was already bad. He didn't want to make things even worse. So he ignored him and went to greet the others. Deep inside him though, he wished for June to be there. She would probably told Flint that his eyesight was as useless as his brains or something like that. It was not the first time he was mistaken for a woman, though. His long white hair and delicate features made many people think he was a girl.

"It's very nice to meet all of you. My name is Gabriel Eldritch and I am here to replace Cynthia, until she returns from Unova."

The other two men glared at him and only the woman shook his hand.

"Hello young man. I like when I see people of the next generation surpassing us, the old. My name is Bertha."

The boy smiled. Bertha was a kindhearted woman.

"What are you talking about Bertha? Who surpassed who? He only bribed the federation to give him this position."

The woman looked at the green haired man annoyed.

"Aaron, stop saying stupid things. You know that Cynthia herself chose this lad, so he must be very talented."

The other man fixed his glasses and stroked his hair from his forehead.

"Gabriel, you are a model, am I right? How old are you exactly?"

Gabe nodded.

"Yes I am a model and I am seventeen years old."

The man then shook his head.

"Bertha, you heard him, didn't you? He is seventeen and he is not even a trainer. There is no way he is more talented than us."

Bertha sighed sadly.

"Lucian, not you too. Even the champion herself recognized Gabriel's strength, what else do you want?"

"I just find it weird that she chose a random stranger as her replacement. It would be a more reasonable choice for her to choose one of us instead of a kid who is not even a real Pokémon trainer and barely had any hardships in his life."

Gabe put his hand on the woman's shoulder and gave her a big smile. After that he glared at Lucian. His last words made the boy extremely angry. Bad mood or not, he didn't care anymore.

"You are not in position to talk about hardships, mister Lucian. I understand you are disappointed with the current situation, because as the strongest of the elite four you were sure that you would fill Cynthia's position, but please don't talk as if you know my past."

The boy then took his scarf of and showed it to Lucian. On its back side, there were five small Pokeballs and a luxury ball.

"My job taught me one think. If someone who believes he is superior to you appears, show him that you are the best. That's what I'm going to do now. I challenge all of you. Battle me! If by any chance someone manages to win, I will quit and give him this stupid position. But if I win, you will have to accept me as the champion. Any questions?"

Bertha looked at him with sad eyes while the three men were grinning mischievously. The look on their faces was enough to made Gabe sweat. They reminded him of Mandibuzz staring at their prey. He gulped once again and grabbed the luxury ball, as Aaron stepped forward. The boy wished for Cynthia's quick return from Unova, so he could leave this hunting ground as soon as possible.

…


	12. Nacrene Museum and Pinwheel Forest

When N arrived at the museum, he saw some policemen guarding the area, while others were placing a yellow barrier tape in front of the building. After getting closer, his eyes opened wide. In front of him was a very worried Hilbert, who was talking with a teal haired woman and a tall, brown haired man. N knew the man, he was Burgh, the leader of Castelia city's gym and the other woman was probably Lenora. The boy's heart then started beating faster. Why was Hilbert so upset and… Hilda… Where was Hilda? He stepped forward and grabbed Hilbert's collar, completely ignoring the two gym leaders.

"Where is Hilda? Answer me!"

The other boy looked at him scared. His whole body was trembling.

"Team Plasma… T-They took her away together with the skull…"

Suddenly N's grip became stronger and he stared the boy with an intimidating look. Hilbert could barely breathe.

"I… found her crying earlier. I asked her… what happened… but she didn't say a… single word. I wanted to… cheer her up so… I brought her here… I was on my way to challenge the gym…and I promised her… If I won, I would treat her ice cream… but those goons came… they stole an exhibit but Lenora managed… to lock them inside… So in order to… escape they took Hilda hostage…"

At this time, N remembered what his father had told him, before he had left to Accumula. Ghetsis said he was going to send a troop to Nacrene to obtain a newly discovered fossil. The man thought this fossil might had some connection with Reshiram and Zekrom. Only then he truly realized what Hilbert told him. His mind went blank and he lowered his eyes. His arms started shaking and he clenched his teeth. After a few seconds he raised his head and stared Hilbert, his eyes red with anger. Then he punched the boy's face so hard, that his nose started bleeding.

"And why didn't you protect her, bastard? You let them take her away! I will kill you! I will kill you with my bare hands, you piece of…"

N tried to punch him again, but thankfully for Hilbert, Burgh interfered. The gym leader grabbed the boy's arms as N was struggling to escape. Hilbert was just standing still, staring them with his eyes wide open while he was holding his nose. N was scary. Only the gaze of his eyes, made the boy frozen with fear. He wasn't kidding. If Burgh hadn't stopped him, N was really going to kick the crap out of him. Lenora, less impressed, stood in front of N and gave him a strong slap. Suddenly, the boy stopped and turned his attention to the woman.

"I'm glad you came back to your senses. Listen, I understand you are worried about little Hilda, but I don't thing killing Hilbert will bring her back safe and sound, don't you agree?"

The boy lowered his eyes and nodded. Burgh then, released him.

"Good. Now, let's split up and search. Hilbert, I want you to stay here and help the police. I will head to route 3. Burgh, take that green haired Hitmonchan and search Pinwheel Forest. Got it?"

The three men nodded. Lenora smiled.

"Excellent! I'm counting on you, everyone! Let's go, then!"

Burgh and N were heading to Pinwheel Forest. The boy was running as fast as he could while his heart was beating faster and faster. His mouth was dry and his whole body was sweating. He knew very well the cause of these symptoms. Fear… Only the thought that these maggots captured her, made the boy sinking into a pit of despair. What if those bastards had already harmed her? Or even worse, what if they… Suddenly he stopped running. Burgh turned around to see what happened. The boy was breathing heavily and his body was shaking. The gym leader got closer.

"I am the one to blame! If I didn't get angry with her earlier nothing bad would have happened!"

The man smiled and put his hand on N's shoulder. The boy looked at him, his eyes filled with fear.

"Don't worry. Everything is going to be alright. I know how strong you are, you challenged my gym a few months ago. Together, we will save your friend before you know it. I promise."

N covered his eyes with his hands and shook his head.

"And if it's already too late?"

Burgh then, put his arm around the boy's neck.

"Smile kid. You should always laugh, because if you keep having negative thoughts only bad things will come in your way. An old friend of mine used to say something like that."

The boy looked at Burgh and smiled. His eyes were sad, but at least he was calmer.

"Yeah… you are right… Thank you. You are a kind person."

The man nodded.

"You are welcome. Now listen. Pinwheel forest is actually pretty big, so we must split if we want to rescue the girl in time. There are two ways out of Pinwheel forest. A straight, man made road and the natural path. I will take the man made road so I will be faster at the exit. I will block them there. There is also a glade I want to go first. You take the natural path. Is this alright with you, kid?"

N nodded and both of them started running once again. To tell the truth, N didn't like this plan at all. He was sure that the troop was consisted of twenty people at least, so even the two of them together weren't enough to beat them. They lacked manpower. Also they had Hilda, so even if they somehow managed to win, they could simply threat them again. Overall the boy found the plan quite rash. He agreed only because Burgh suggested splitting up. This way N could come up with a safer and smarter plan. He had to be quick and careful, though. If Burgh found Team Plasma before N did, or if his father's henchmen discovered him, everything would vanish into thin air.

June was in Pinwheel forest and she wasn't in a good mood. She had to slow Burgh down, to buy some time for N. She had to keep the boy's identity secret at all costs, but that was easier said than done. She was in front of the forest's bridge thinking of ways to block it up, but nothing good came in her mind. The baby Vulpix was looking curiously at her.

"Hm… I could use Light Screen, but an invisible wall in the middle of the forest is not the most common sight. Not to mention that this idiot will understand someone is trying to slow him down. I need something more natural, but what? If it's rocks or wood he will get rid of them easily, just by using one of his Pokémon. Well, I could slow him down by myself but boss got very angry by what happened at route 3. God, I hate planning!"

Then, her Vulpix stood in front of her holding a Pokeball. The girl beamed.

"But of course! The freeloaders! What a clever little guy you are!"

June petted her Pokémon's head and took the Pokeball. She pressed the big, white button and a very scared Ditto came out.

"Listen, bubblegum. If you want me keep feeding you, you have to prove yourself useful just for once. You can transform into anything, right?"

The little Pokémon nervously nodded.

"Great. Now, do you remember these Snorlax who are usually sleeping in front of bridges and block people's path?"

Ditto nodded again.

"Excellent. Then turn into one. The bigger the better, got it?"

The pink blob then let a small cry and looked terrified the girl, whose left hand was shrouded in flames.

"If you try to transform yourself into something by relying on your memory, you get details wrong? What kind of bullcrap is this? I feed you, take care of you and that's how you thank me! You useless piece of shit! Prepare to meet your maker!"

Suddenly, Vulpix stood in front of Ditto, holding an old, white Pokedex. Then, the flames from June's hand vanished and the girl took the device. It had many scratches, but it still functioned.

"Ah, yes. There is that too. How long was it when that old man gave me this thing? Nine years? Even though I wasn't chosen by the federation, he was kind enough to give me one of these. I'm really surprised I didn't throw it away, but never mind. It came handy this time."

After pressing some buttons, she showed it to her Ditto.

"Look at the screen. I want you to transform into this thing, only a bazillion times bigger. This is your last chance. If you are still unable to do it, I'll burn you to cinders."

The poor thing tried its best, and it actually did it, after June barely missed it with an energy ball. The girl was now observing it, satisfied.

"That's actually not that bad, bubblegum. Now stand in front of the bridge and pretend you are sleeping. I will come and pick you later. And bear in mind, I will not tolerate something like that again."

She then, picked her Vulpix and vanished. She had to find N and make sure the boy was safe.

"My friend, are you sure this is the right way?"

"_**Of course I am. I saw a big group of humans here an hour ago. Or were they Vigoroth? Sorry I don't remember.**_"

N put his hand on his forehead and shook his head. After splitting up with Burgh, the boy took the natural path exactly as he was told. But after a while, he found out that the forest was a complete labyrinth so he asked a Sewaddle for help in exchange for some Oran berries.

"_**Hey N, don't worry. We will ask someone for directions. Look! There is a Lilligant over there. She might have seen them.**_"

N nodded and run toward the Pokémon. The Sewaddle hoped from the boy's shoulder and started talking with her.

"_**Good day to you, my lady. Pleasant weather we have today, don't you agree?**_"

"_**Oh my, hello! Ah yes, the weather is perfect. The sun is very good for my leaves."**_

The boy's eyes opened wide. Things were getting pretty serious, yet these two were chatting about weather. He stood between then and grabbed Lilligant's left leaf. The Pokémon looked at him surprised.

"I am sorry for being rude my lady, but I am in a rush. A group of bad people kidnapped my precious friend and I must find them before it is too late. So please… Tell me if you have seen them."

Lilligant thought about it and after a while, she nodded happily.

"_**Yes, I think I have. I saw a big group of funny dressed humans heading to the glade, not so long ago.**_"

N froze up. The glade? Wasn't that the place that Burgh wanted to check? That was bad. Pretty bad… He had to hurry. Burgh was gaining ground and if he found them before the boy, Hilda would be in grave danger.

"Thank you, my lady. I am eternally grateful. After I rescue my friend, I will come back to repay you, I promise."

Then, he put Sewaddle back to his shoulder and ran away.

"_**Y-Young man! W-Wait !**_"

N stopped and turned around.

"_**I feel sorry for you. You are willing to fight so gallantly to save your friend. Is there anything I can do to help?**_"

The boy put his hand under his chin and thought about it. After a while, he smiled at the flowering Pokémon.

"Actually… yes! Yes, you can!"


	13. Pinwheel Forest End

Sage Gorm was in the forest's glade along with twenty five members of Team Plasma. They were hiding there, waiting for the jet Ghetsis sent to pick them up. The old man was very anxious. Even though they managed to steal the dragon skull, the fact that they were holding a hostage worried him. He was sure this girl had friends, who were definitely searching for them right now. A few minutes later a grunt appeared.

"Sage Gorm, I am here to report an unusual activity. A huge amount of Petilil and Lilligant are gathering at the glade right now."

Gorm sighed angrily and hit the grunt's head.

"Of course they are, you moron! Haven't you seen how bright the sun is today? This glade is the only place in the forest where the sky is not hidden by trees, so it's natural for grass Pokémon to come here to absorb sunlight! I am surrounded by idiots… Whatever… How is the hostage?"

The grunt answered while holding his head from the pain. That old man actually packed quite a punch.

"She is fine, my sage. We are guarding her as you ordered, sir. Don't worry. The dragon skull is still under our possession."

The man nodded.

"Very well. Now leave. I need some time alone."

The grunt did as he was told and left after giving a small bow.

Five minutes later the sage was feeling awfully tired. He wanted to sleep, but now was not the right time. He would sleep as much as he wanted, after their return to headquarters. But why he wanted to sleep that much? He was feeling fine a few minutes ago so there was no reason… Sleep powder! Somebody was using these Lilligant and Petilil to put them to sleep! They have been found! Gorm started running. He had to warn the others, but it was too late. All the members were lying on the ground, unconscious. The sage then grabbed a Pokeball, but he had inhaled a good amount of sleep powder himself. Not long after, the old man was fast asleep.

…

June was wandering around Pinwheel forest for quite a bit and she was extremely angry. Not only she couldn't find N anywhere, she was actually lost herself. Her Vulpix was just looking around.

"I'm pissed! I'm just going around in circles for an hour and that damn kid is nowhere to be found. Should I just burn the whole place?"

Suddenly, her phone rang. June looked at its screen and groaned. Great… Exactly what she needed right now.

"What the hell do you want Gabriel? I'm busy… No, I don't give a damn about where you… "

All of sudden, the girl froze up. The little Pokémon looked at her and barked, awfully worried. It was rare for her to be that scared. Without saying a single word she hung up and picked her Vulpix up. June started running as fast as she could, completely ignoring the phone which was ringing again and again like crazy. Not enough time… She didn't have enough time.

…

N was watching the sleeping members of team Plasma with a smirk on his face. Once again, his plan was flawless. They stood no chance. After hearing some steps, the boy turned around to see Lilligant and Sewaddle. He smiled at them.

"_**N, quickly! We found your friend! This way!**_"

He nodded and followed them.

"I have to thank you, my friends. I couldn't save her, if it wasn't for you. I feel so bad putting all of you into danger…"

The flowering Pokémon blushed.

"_**Oh my, what a knight! Don't feel bad, I was the one insisting on helping you. Besides, it was so much fun!**_"

N giggled.

"I really appreciate your kindness. I have to admit that you ladies did an excellent job with the sleep powder. Your worry seed also managed to keep every single one of us awake. Sewaddle you too, my friend. You sewed the leaf camouflage. Thanks to that I managed to pass unnoticed."

The little worm nodded.

"_**Yeah, that's right. And don't forget my awesome direction skills!**_"

N smiled and shook his head. Lilligant sighed sadly and closed her eyes.

After a while, he was in front of a small tent, which was guarded by many grants. Lilligant pushed the boy lightly.

" _**Go! Before those cruel humans wake up.**_"

The boy nodded and went inside. He froze up by what he saw. Hilda was lying down and she was in a terrible state. Her hands were tied behind her with a rope .Her legs were also tied at the ankles. Moreover, they had her mouth covered with tape and she was wearing a blindfold. They had turned her into a soulless piece of meat. And as if that wasn't enough, her body was also covered in cuts and bruises. N suddenly became angry… very angry. How dare those bastards to lay a hand on his precious friend? He was going to kill each and every one of them, from Gorm to the lowest grunt. He leaned forward and looked Hilda's face. Thank god, she was still breathing. She was probably fast asleep from the sleep powder, but other than that she seemed fine. N then picked her up and carried her. He put his cheek on her forehead.

"I'm sorry… This is all my fault. I will do whatever you want, just please… don't hate me…"

Then, he left the tent. He wasn't even bothered to search for the exhibit. The girl was his only concern. When Lilligant saw them, she immediately approached them.

"_**Oh my, that's terrible! Poor thing… She will be okay, won't she?**_"

The boy smiled sadly and nodded.

"Yeah… I think so…"

The Sewaddle then interfered.

"_**N, hurry! Take her and leave. We will handle the rest. The ladies told me that they have a good plan.**_"

N nodded and summoned his Archeops. After thanking them again and again, he flied away. The boy felt relieved. Not only he managed to rescue Hilda from those goons, Burgh also didn't intervene in his plans. He smiled and fondled the girl's face. Once again, the same thoughts as those in Wellspring cave came to his mind. This time though, he knew how to answer them.

…

After a while, N was inside an abandoned warehouse. He wanted to untie Hilda and this old building seemed safe enough. So, he asked Archeops to land outside. After wandering around for a bit, the boy put her on an old, dusty couch and untied her hands and feet. Then, he removed the blindfold and the tape. When he finished, he sat next to her and watched her sleeping. Her eyes were swollen, she should have been crying for a long time. The girl also wasn't wearing her hat. She had probably lost it in the forest. Suddenly, her head started moving. The girl was about to wake up. When she opened her eyes, she immediately stood up, completely ignoring N.

"Team Plasma! Where are they? Pinwheel Forest! Dragon Skull!"

N giggled and sighed. Thank Arceus, she was fine. He approached her and put his hand on her shoulder, something that made the girl to turn around scared. That startled the boy who walked away a few steps.

"Ah yes. About that…Don't worry, you are safe. I took you away. I couldn't find you hat though… I am sorry."

After hearing those words, tears started bursting from Hilda's eyes and she ran towards the boy, while yelling out his name again and again. She put her head on his chest and wrapped her hands around him. She was sobbing.

"N, I was so scared… I thought I was going to die…"

The boy froze up. He wasn't used to be so close with other people. Moreover he didn't know how to react. The last time he remembered himself in a situation like that, was when he was little. He was playing with his sisters, when he carelessly threw a ball outside of his room. Anthea volunteered to bring it back, despite the warnings of him and Concordia. If she was caught a heavy punishment was waiting for her. Bad luck for the little girl, his father's henchmen found her and sent her straight to Ghetsis. Her crying and screaming, as well as his father's yelling could be heard even from his room, but Concordia's embrace gave him courage. For some weird reason, he felt so safe, that even his father didn't seem so scary. Suddenly, he embraced tightly the girl and put his forehead on her head. He wanted to comfort her, just how Concordia did back then.

"Don't be scared, it's over now. I won't let these bastards hurt you again, I promise."

Hilda raised her head and looked at him. She was smiling and her face was bright red.

"Thank you…"

N embraced her in another tight hug. Right now, it was all clear in his mind. He was going to protect her. To him Hilda mattered more than anything. She was his one and only friend, after all.

All this time June was watching them from the building's broken roof. She grinned.

"Good job brat, you didn't disappoint my expectations at all. That's right, seduce him more. That's the only thing you cute girls are good at, anyway."

Then her phone rang, once again.

"Yes? Oh it's you again, Gabe! Sorry about earlier, an urgent matter came up. Yes, the plan is proceeding smoothly. When boss arrives? No, it's perfect. Tell her, I'll meet her at Castelia. Of course, I'll bring the Vessel with me. Don't worry, he will accept our offer. Yes, I miss you too. Ah, and if you call me JuJu again, I will poke your eyes out. Take care."

June hung up her phone and put in inside her bag.

"Well, let's leave those two alone for now. It's time to go and pick up that bubblegum anyway…"

…


	14. Sendoff Spring

Sinnoh was considered to be a place of a rare natural beauty and had left many geologists and naturalists impressed not only by its variety of landscapes but also by its regional speciation, which could be seen west and east from mountain Coronet. Moreover, there are many who say that this region had something for everyone, from big metropolises with casinos and lavish hotels, to quiet, remote villages, built on top of tall mountains. But it is said that wherever there is light there is shadow, so despite being this amazing, Sinnoh also had its own shadier places. For many natives Sendoff Spring was one of them. A huge lake surrounded by mountains and shrouded in fog almost all the year, Sendoff Spring is a mystical and obscure place, able to induce fear even to the bravest ones. As a result, many stories were born about this place, even though it had been found a year ago. Some of these stories were saying that the lake was the portal to the world of the dead, while others were claiming it was leading to dimensions full of demons, ready to tear apart the human flesh and draw the essence of life away. Nobody dared to affirm the truth of these stories, though. They preferred to leave this land sleeping, just like it had done all these centuries that remained hidden.

But because life thrives everywhere, there were people who found receptive even a place like that. Gabe was one of them. The boy liked visiting Sendoff Spring whenever he got some free time. It was the only place where he could have a peace of mind. It was also dark and quiet, much to his liking. He was sitting on a half broken bridge and gazing the void, as usual.

"Well, look who I bumped into! It was three years ago when you said you wouldn't return ever again, yet here you are."

They boy stood up and turned around. It was June who was gazing him with her usual grin. He gave her an indifferent look.

"It's just… this place attracts me somehow. It's like I'm pulled here every time I want to escape by an unseen force. You know, like gravity."

The red haired girl laughed out loud and got closer to him.

"It's called homesickness."

The boy rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Really, June! Which normal human being would feel homesick for a place like that?"

"We are not humans anymore, Gabe. We have discarded that part of us many years ago, don't you remember? The only thing that remains from our human nature is this carcass, which we call body. And now that I think about it, even that is not ours anymore. We just borrow it."

Suddenly, she put her hand on the right side of her face.

"At least some of us do that…"

Gabe stood right in front of her and fondled her hair. Then he stroked them from her forehead so her whole face could be seen. The girl startled. She quickly removed the boy's hand and once again covered her face with her bright red hair.

"Are you nuts? Do that again and I will cut your hand! I dare you!"

The boy smiled. He remembered the first time he saw her right eye. It was something more fitted for a monster rather than a human. A pitch black eye socket shaped like a diamond and inside it, a smaller eyeball. Unlike most eyes, this eyeball was all white and no iris could be seen. The only exception was a black dot in the middle, which was obviously the eye's pupil. This image haunted his dreams for some time, but eventually he got used to it. It was not the only cause of his nightmares, anyway.

"We are all in the same situation June. You are not the only one suffering from that."

The girl then gazed the lake's black water.

"It's not like that Gabriel. At least you still look like a human. I, on the other hand, look like a monster. And don't say I'm wrong. I still remember that look on your face the first time we met."

Gabe lowered his eyes. He felt really bad right now. June continued talking.

"Anyway, as I was saying, every single one of us is bonded with this place, despite how obscure it looks. That's because a piece of our soul is and will always remain here."

The boy looked at her really surprised, while she was walking away from the bridge. Without losing time he ran after her.

"What do you mean?"

The girl then grinned and showed him at the other side of the lake, where Turnback cave was. Gabe knew about this place, it was a portal to Distortion world.

"Sendoff Spring brings us closer to our Creator than any other place on this planet. That's why we are bonded here and we always crave to come back no matter how far we go. Even when we die, our soul still wanders around the world in hopes to return here someday. Then we will merge with our Creator and become a part of his flesh. That's the salvation we are fighting for. Pretty shitty huh…"

Gabe was staring at her with his mouth wide open. He ran his fingers between his hair, his eyes bursting tears. June was looking at him amused. It was always like that, even for her.

"Let me guess, boss told you that if you serve Him blindly, you will be reunited with your loved ones after your death, right? She fooled you Gabriel. Just like everybody else. And she will do the same thing to those who will be recruited in the future. But don't worry. If you think our fate is cruel, wait to hear what will happen to Father's followers. Those who rejected our Creator's love and decided to obey the Original One instead, they will be shattered. He eats their souls, Gabriel. They just become a first grade meal. I'm sorry to say that but, your friends and family had already been digested. You will never meet them again. They were doomed from the beginning, either way."

The boy had gotten on his knees and he was sobbing. He was hitting his hands on the ground while yelling his mother's name. The girl's words shocked him that much. He was fighting for nothing all these years. So much pain and hate… All for nothing…

June leaned and embraced him in an attempt to calm him a little.

"Don't hate the boss Gabe. It pains her too, but she can't do anything about it. She is just a mere puppet, like all of us. There is one thing you can do, though."

He looked at the girl, still very shocked.

"Revenge, Gabriel. Get your revenge from that Father's bastard who killed your loved ones. Don't let their loss go to waste. And if not for them, do it for yourself. At least, that's what I'm going to do."

Suddenly, the boy's arms wrapped around her. He embraced her tightly and put his head on her shoulder. The girl smiled. She knew how lonely he was feeling right now. She was in the same position a few years ago, only she hadn't had anyone to lean on. Maybe that was why she liked Gabe a bit more than the others. He reminded her of herself. A person whose life showed its cruel face far too early. When Gabe finally calmed down, she stood up and fixed her blouse.

"Now, let's stop the embarrassing moments, yes? I didn't come here to ruin your mood anyway. I have news to tell you."

"Good or bad?"

"It… depends…"

Gabe stood up and looked at her very worried. He didn't like the tone of her voice at all.

"Boss gave me a mission, Gabriel. So… I'm leaving… tomorrow… I don't know when or if I return, so I passed by to say goodbye. I knew you would be here."

The boy grabbed her shoulders.

"Wha… Why? Where will you go?"

The girl smiled sadly.

"Unova. We recently found out that Father has hidden one of his Child's Vessels there, so the boss wants me to go and dispose him. She said it is urgent and of great importance."

Gabe didn't say anything. He just lowered his eyes and clenched his teeth. June tried to explain but he ran away without hearing anything else. How much… How much was he still going to sacrifice for this meaningless bloodshed? The Father, the Creator… they could go to hell for all he cared. The only thing he wanted was to live a normal life and keep his loved ones close to him. Was he asking too much?

…

**Note: **

_Hello everyone! First of all, I would like to thank you for reading and supporting this story so far. I know, this chapter may seem a bit irrelevant to the main story, but it is actually a flashback set two years before the events of the God's stone. It reveals some of June's past and the reasons behind her actions. Some of them at least… I plan to make more flashbacks like this one for other characters as well and throw them into the story whenever I see fit, or if someone of you requests one. There is also one thing I would like to ask. Would you like to include Hilda's other Gym battles to the story? And if yes, what Pokémon should she use? You can answer me via PM or review, I don't really mind. If you like, you can include movesets and nicknames too. Well, that's all for now. Until next time, peace!_

_VibrantColours_


	15. The Calm Before The Storm

Watching a woman running in the middle of a road had never been one of the most usual sights, especially when she was in such a hurry, that she didn't realize the cars that almost hit her or the angry drivers' curse words. Many tried to stop her and ask what was wrong, but to no avail. She just looked at them with her restless eyes, before running away once again. She expected these reactions, she would do the same if she was in their place. The woman didn't have time for excuses and apologies, though. She had to go to Pinwheel forest before it was too late. She wanted to help her friend and the boy who was with him. But a bit later, she was dead on her feet, much to her surprise. The woman thought that all those years spent at mines and excavations gave her a sturdy body, capable to compete well even against someone a lot younger than her. She was probably wrong. After admitting the fact she couldn't run any longer, she leaned on an old warehouse's wall. The wall was full of cracks, dirt and dust, which was sticking to her sweaty clothes and arms. She put one hand on her chest while taking some deep breaths and with the other one she moved her hair off her forehead. The woman wasn't going to make it on time. She panicked. Suddenly her phone rang. She clumsily took it out from her pocket. When she heard the man's voice on the other line, she felt the feelings that burdened her all this time slowly fading away and the tension vanished from her face. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply in relief. It was then that this relief turned into curiosity. She wanted to know everything that happened all this time she was searching for team Plasma at route 3. The man, as if he read her mind, started narrating.

"Lenora, I bet ten dollars I'm going to tell you the craziest story you have ever listened."

After hearing those words, a sweet smile came on her face. Her eyes now had a serene expression.

"I'm in. I have to warn you, though. I have heard many weird things."

"I assure you, this is a billion dollar one. Just listen and enjoy. Well, when I and the boy arrived at Pinwheel forest we decided to split up. I took the manmade road and the boy the natural path."

"You left him alone!"

"Don't worry he is pretty damn good. He challenged my gym a few months ago and I lost like an amateur. He had a strange name Natural something, if I recall correct. Anyway that doesn't matter. I was heading to the glade and after some walking I finally arrived at the bridge, which was blocked by a Snorlax."

"Snorlax… In Unova… Are you sure?"

"Believe me I can recognize a Snorlax when I see it. And man, it was huge!"

"Maybe it belonged to a trainer…"

"Yeah, I thought about that too, but there was no one around. I tried to wake it up, but to no avail. Luring it with food, attacking with Leavanny… nothing worked. After a while, I grew tired of this, so I decided to turn back and take the natural path. Then something very interesting happened. Snorlax not only woke up but also was running around furiously. I was staring it like an idiot for a few seconds, only to realize that it was heading over me, extremely angry. Then I run away, screaming and yelling."

The woman sighed sadly and looked the sky, which had a pale orange color.

"I'm sorry Burgh, but I have heard worse than that. I have to admit it was strange, though."

"Wait dear, there is more! After escaping from that killer, I continued my way to the glade. When I arrived, I saw about twenty sleeping team Plasma members hanging upside down from some branches. The boy and the girl were nowhere to be found."

Lenora was listening without saying a single word. The man had her attention.

"I decided to search for the dragon skull and thank god, I found it undamaged. I decided not to do anything with team Plasma as they had an important looking person with them. I didn't want to create more chaos. So, I left."

The woman agreed. Many people had already been in danger.

"After a while though, I saw about thirty Petilil and Lilligant kicking and punching a man who was hanging upside down from a branch of a tree. A few meters away there was his Plasma uniform and his boots. Yes, he was naked before you ask. The poor guy was begging for mercy. He was trying to at least, because a Sewaddle had covered his mouth with yarn. I didn't want to know more, so I left as fast as I could. It was then that Hilbert called me and informed me that the kids were alright. He was in the hospital because they wanted to treat the girl's wounds. After that, I called you. Well, what do you say? Pretty unique, no?"

The woman froze up with a surprised expression on her face. The only part of her body that was moving was her teal hair, which was blown by the strong wind. The man's loud laughing could be heard from the other line.

"I suppose this means that you owe me ten dollars, am I right Lenora?"

Lenora, copying the man, put her free arm on her stomach and laughed out loud. It was a pure laugh filled with happiness joy and entertainment. It was amazing how this complex mix of emotions could be expressed by something so simple. The light of the sunset fondled her face, making it even sweeter.

"I'm glad I didn't bet with Grimsley. I should have to sell the entire museum to pay it off. Wait right there Burgh, I'm coming to pick you up."

She once again, headed to Pinwheel Forest this time walking. She didn't have enough power to run. The woman was exhausted both mentally and physically. There was no way to tell him that, though. She was that proud.

…

The old man's shouting could be heard even from the corridor, even though the door to his room was shut. Of course there were some silence periods but they were small, as that old grumpy always found something new to complain about. N if he could, he would sympathize with the nurse, who was trying to persuade him to take his pills. He was sitting on an old torn chair observing the dew, which was forming on the window, while the sun was hiding behind the mountains in a cloudy sky.

"What happened? Haven't they finished yet? And why that grandpa is still complaining? Does he ever stop?"

The bored young man turned his head and saw Hilbert's red hat from the other end of the corridor. He was coming towards him, walking slightly faster than usual. His movements were nervous and stiff, as if someone was moving him like a puppet. He also noticed that Hilbert's Xtransceiver was missing. Something possibly happened, but he couldn't care less. Hilbert was a fairly normal and healthy boy, having nothing to envy from almost everyone in this world. That was why N found him extremely boring. Unlike Hilda, he had nothing different, nothing to draw his attention and to make his heart beating fast from excitement. After observing him for a couple of seconds, he once again turned his attention to the window. After a while Hilbert sat beside him.

"Technology they say… That Xcrapceiver exploded, while I was talking with Cheren. Can you believe it? And I paid a fortune to buy it, damn it!"

N didn't look at him. He was gazing the light bulbs on the ceiling flashing weekly.

"It was your responsibility to take care of her. You failed miserably."

Hilbert lowered his eyes and his voice took a very serious tone.

"And what did you expect me to do? They were more than me…And they had guns… Guns!"

N closed his eyes and tried to hide a sly grin with his wrist. A grin full of irony and haughtiness.

"Ah, yes! I have never expected anything from you. Just like anybody else. You are the same."

Suddenly, Hilbert stood up and looked the green haired boy, enraged. Again… N was looking down on him again… There was a pang of sadness at his heart and his whole body was burning hot. He wanted to scream, to defend himself, to show N his actual worth. But most of all, he wanted to relieve his chest from the burden of guilt that the boy so easily made him carry. Yet he couldn't. N's words, although hard, were telling the truth. Lowering his eyes once again, he sat quietly on his chair. The rest of the time passed silently. The only things that broke this deadly silence were the old man who was still complaining and a little girl who was crying while she was going to see a doctor with her mother.

**Two hours ago…**

_The soil was still a bit damp at the hospital's backyard after the evening watering. That's why Hilbert was leaving footprints on his way to the building. A few minutes ago he was talking with Burgh, informing him about Hilda's and N's safely arrival. He was dead tired and that could be seen in the way he walked. Today's tension had already been manifested in his body, making him feel heavier than usual. But the day was not over yet, so anything could still happen. All of sudden, his Xtransceiver started vibrating. The boy gazed the sky while sighing heavily, in an attempt to relieve his tired body. Then, he pushed the big blue button under the device's screen. Immediately the screen started glowing, something that made him to close his eyes a little. Nevertheless he managed to recognize Cheren's face. His friend was looking awfully restless. In the beginning he believed it was a hallucination, because of the strong light but his eyes didn't deceive him._

"Cheren, I'm really tired right now… What do you want?"

"Hilbert, stop whining and listen to me! We are all in a grave danger!"

_The young man stopped walking. Danger?_

"What do you mean?"

"You must believe me Hilbert! You know I rarely lie. I was scared at first, because I thought you would laugh at me but…"

"Get to the point, Cheren!"

"Ok, ok! About a week ago we saw some Plasma goons near Striaton and they had stolen a little girl's Pokémon. We ran after them and…"

"You forgot to mention the part where you lose miserably. I know the story, Bianca told me. N ran after them, you followed him and a couple of hours later they found you half unconscious near a tree. If that was what you wanted to tell me I'm off…"

"Wait! That was not it!"

"Then what was it?"

"Can you listen just for five damn minutes?"

"Fine, fine! Sheesh!"

"When I ran after N, I bumped into a girl. She wanted to slow me down. Something must have happened to the cave. I'm also sure she was covering for N."

"Cheren, I don't like him either, but don't you think you are overreacting a little. Think about it. What are the odds of that happening?"

"You think I didn't? She told me that if I wasn't that brat's friend, she would kill me, which means she knows one of us. And to be honest, I doubt the four of us would like to hang out with that kind of a girl. So it must be N."

_Hilbert looked at him surprised._

"What the…"

"That's right, she was a psycho! And then she pushed me back with such force, that I crashed on a tree!"

"With what Pokémon?"

Cheren's face turned serious. He was bright red and his eyes were looking him with an expression that was pleading for trust.

"She didn't use any…"

"Then how? Some kind of weapon?"

"I- I think it was telepathy…"

_The boy was looking at his friend silent for a couple of seconds._

"You got lost, didn't you? And you angered a Zebstrika. Then it hit you, you know where so hard, that you fainted from the pain. You are just very shy to admit it, so you created this story as an excuse. Am I wrong?"

"Hilbert, please! I beg you to believe me! Why should I lie to you?"

"Ok, ok, let's say I believe you. What was her name?"

_The black haired boy smiled a bright smile and sighed in relief, his eyes shining from happiness. Before he answered though, Hilbert noticed some sparks coming from the device. He became horrified. He tried to remove it from his hand, while anxiety was taking over him for every second. His trembling hands made the situation even more difficult. Finally he managed to remove it and threw it away just a few seconds before exploding almost in front of his face. Afterwards, he was looking shocked the broken device while feeling his lungs filled with air from his deep breaths. He took a few steps back. What the hell did just happen? It was like someone did it on purpo… No, no he shouldn't let his friend's delirium to take him over. Still completely shocked, he headed once again towards the building, while the last three minutes were gleaming in his mind more and more brightly, like a flame. When he had gone, June appeared right in front of the broken Xtransceiver. After picking its screen up, or better yet what remained of it, a mischievous grin shaped on her face._

"Not yet. The day that your mind would be filled with fear just by hearing my name, hasn't come yet. I will let you enjoy your peaceful life a bit more. See it as an act out of pity from my part."

_June walked away from the machine, still holding its broken screen on her hand. It was then that she saw a flock of Unfezant flying to Pinwheel forest and Castelia city. _

…

Imperator Justinian: About June, you were right. You are also the first person who told me about it, so congratulations! Gabe is a bit trickier I have to admit. Also thanks for your review. I'm glad you like my story.


	16. Castelia1

When N and Hilda arrived at Castelia, they saw something completely different from what they were used to. The city with the sea of skyscrapers piercing the sky, the great rivers of people flowing around the pavements and the five huge ports, was a sight that at least Hilda had never seen before. While they were walking, she was looking left and right in awe, as her eager eyes were greedily absorbing these unprecedented images. Unable to sustain her flame of curiosity, she was asking N about everything. Even when they arrived at the Pokémon center she was talking nonstop, completely ignoring the man, who was standing right beside the door. That stranger was scanning the room for quite a while and for a moment N thought that his eyes flickered in their direction. What the… Was he smiling at them? The boy's eyes opened wide. He quickly looked away, fixing his hat. A few seconds later ,he once again got a glimpse of the man. This time, the stranger was moving towards them ,while searching his big black bag for something.

'He is following us', he thought and stepped forward, while grabbing Hilda's arm bringing her behind him. His eyes were narrowed to slits, pinning the other man to the wall with their gaze. The stranger froze up.

"He-Hello sir… A-Are you mister Natural Harmonia Gropius?"

After hearing this words N eyes opened wide. He could feel his heart beating like crazy and his pulse was rising. How the hell did he know who he was? Was he here to blackmail him? Or maybe someone his father sent? All this tension made his mind to go blank and his senses became sharper.

"Who are you and what do you want? If you try something funny-"

Hilda, who was watching silently all this time, suddenly put her hand on his shoulder.

"N, what happened? Why are you acting like that in front of the postman?"

Then, his mind became clear once again. He looked the man one more time. The poor guy was standing still, his trembling hands holding a letter and a small box. Heat emitted from N's body and his cheeks became rosy, just like every time he was sick. He lowered his head and put his hat in front of his eyes. How could he be so stupid? Meanwhile, Hilda headed casually towards the postman. She smiled.

"Hello mister! Please don't be mad at N! He is just overprotective!"

After talking with her for a while, the postman's stiff body began to relax. When he left, Hilda passed N the letter and the box. The boy took them with a sad smile.

"Thank you. You saved me from an awkward situation."

The girl giggled.

"Well, it was a change. It's usually you who rescues me."

N laughed and put his hat on her head. Then he started reading the letter. He didn't bother with the box at all, he already knew what was inside. Hilda moved closer and looked curiously at the piece of paper.

"Something important?"

The boy shook his head.

"A 'friend' of mine is in the city. He wants to see me in person."

"So…" Hilda lowered her eyes, "You have to leave now…"

The boy nodded sadly.

"Seems so…But I won't leave you alone!"

Hilda raised her head and saw N showing her a Pokeball.

"Zoroark will take care of you until I return. And if possible, don't leave the Pokémon Center at all, okay?"

He then wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled the girl closer to him, looking at her with his gray eyes. Hilda blushed, as she slowly lowered her head, trying to hide a shy smile.

"Okay…"

Since the first time he hugged her at Pinwheel forest, N was doing this kind of thing quite often, usually without asking. His heart was beating faster with excitement every single time and he also liked to observe all the expressions her face made. He found this newly discovered emotion pretty interesting. It was just like when he was solving mathematical equations. Essentially, the same feeling of awe and fulfillment and yet… Completely different. Hilda's reaction was also positive, usually hugging him back. N thought that she also wanted to decipher this strange emotion. He tried to ask her a couple of times about the whole situation, but she was always changing the subject. Maybe she had already found the solution and didn't want to tell him, or she was trying to urge him to find the answer by himself.

…

The dark hallway could barely fit this amount of people. Motionless, like statues, and armed to teeth they were standing left and right. They had only one job, which was not to let anyone unwanted to go through the small door at the end. Just by watching them, the boy felt a tingle race at his spine. His pace was getting faster and faster. He didn't even realize when he reached the end of the hallway. After glancing at them once more, he opened the door with his shaking hands. Inside the room he saw a man sitting at a desk, a huge pile of papers hiding his face. The man was so absorbed with his work, he didn't even notice that someone else was in the office.

"Father, I am here as you requested."

When Ghetsis heard N's voice, he immediately left the paperwork and ran quickly at his son. He embraced the boy tightly and kissed his forehead.

"My dear child, were have you been all this time? I haven't heard from you for two months. You worried us. Come, sit. Tell me about your travels."

Still holding his child's shoulder, the man leaded him in front of a couch. N lowered his head, flexing his fingers. He sat and crossed his arms, obviously nervous. Ghetsis, who sat next to him, grabbed his shoulder, making N to look at him.

"So N, tell me. Are you making any progress? Did you find anything new about Reshiram and Zekrom?"

"No… I didn't"

The man sighed.

"I thought so… We didn't make much progress either… We have to delay the plan, but don't worry! One day we will free your friends, my son!"

N couldn't stop shaking his legs.

"Father… I think that… This formula is not the ideal one… It will lead us to wrong results…"

Ghetsis squeezed gently the boy's shoulder.

"I don't understand you, son. Explain it again."

"In my travels… I saw different kinds of people. Some wanted to be stronger, others were searching what they wanted to do with their lives and others were vain and greedy, caring only for themselves. But I also saw people who were caring about Pokémon, cherishing them more than anything. If only you knew how fast my heart was beating by watching those people, father!"

Ghetsis then squeezed N's shoulder so hard that he barely controlled the pain. The smile had already vanished from the man's face.

"Get to the point dammit!"

N took a deep breath. Now or never.

"The plan must stop."

After hearing those words Ghetsis stood up. He grabbed N violently and pushed him against the wall. His voice was a hoarse whisper.

"Your heart was beating? Who are trying to fool, bastard? A freak like you doesn't have a heart…"

He laughed out loud and slapped N as hard as he could. The boy was watching him speechless, an almost bemused expression on his face.

"The plan will stop when I say so! I am Team Plasma! You are nothing more than a creeper! Other than being my puppet, you have no more use!"

Suddenly, N's childhood flashed in front of his eyes. The time they spent together, playing games and reading books inside his room. When he had fever and his father was taking care of him. The gifts he gave him at his birthdays. All these times Ghetsis said he loved him! Lies… It was all a bunch of lies. Tears filled his eyes as the man slapped him once again.

"What? Don't tell me you are sad now! Did you believe even for a second that I cared about you?"

He tried to slap N one more time, but suddenly the boy blocked his hand. He lifted his head and glared at the man with glistening eyes.

"No… I am Team Plasma! If I say the plan stops, it will stop. I am the king and everyone follows my orders, including you!"

Ghetsis stared at his son, clenching his teeth. His shaking hands were holding N's collar and his eyes were red from anger. What had that brat said? Had he just dared to talk back at him? Him!

"Now take your hands off me, before I accuse you for treason. And they will believe me. The wounds on my face and arms are more than enough."

The man could barely handle his anger. Since when had this creeper learned to abuse his power? He hit the wall next to N's face with great force.

"Don't threat me bastard…"

N just smiled. He looked at the man in front of him. A caged beast, that was harmless despite his terrifying gaze. He had won.

…

The huge line was extended as far as the eye could reach. People of all ages waited patiently for something so rare, which was available only for a few months every year and only in this city. Many of them even traveled for miles just to obtain it. The famous Casteliacone. June had been waiting in this line for half an hour and her nerves were as taut as the strings of a bow. When she finally managed to get two ice creams she sat on a nearby bench, giving one to the blond woman who was carefully watching her all this time. Her curious eyes examined the cone and a small grin shaped on her face.

"June is treating me ice cream. Well that's rare! What happened? Unova made you remember your sweet and kind past self?"

June narrowed her eyes, obviously not amused.

"If you keep spitting bullshit instead of eating, your ice cream will melt. If you don't want it, just give it to that pink sea slug you always carry around. "

The woman then petted the head of a Shellos that was sleeping next to her.

"I guess you are right. Let's talk about something more important then. Why is he still alive?"

The girl took casually another bite of her ice cream.

"Well, he has potential…"

"That will be turned against us!"

The girl stopped eating and looked the cloudless summer sky.

"Maybe yes, maybe no…"

The blond cocked her head, a puzzled expression on her delicate face.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you remember when we first met? You told me the story of the world and how it consists of different sides. You know… Light and darkness, time and space, black and white."

She nodded.

"Yeah, I remember it very well."

"Good. Let's say that this boy is somewhere in the middle."

After realizing those words, the ice cream fell from the woman's hands. She was looking the girl bemused, like she was seeing something both ethereal and horrifying at the same time. The only thing she managed to do was whispering words she believed she wouldn't say ever again after all those years.

"That's impossible…"

…

The computer on the desk was making a pretty loud noise for a couple of minutes. N didn't even cared and just let it be, in contrast to Ghetsis who ran immediately towards it. After seeing the screen, he hit his hands on the desk.

"Curses, they found us! And now of all times! Now! And as if that wasn't bad enough, the gym leader is with them!"

Curious, the boy ran at the desk to see what happened. He jumped back when he saw the screen. His heart started beating like a drum and he put his hand on his chest. He was breathing with great difficulty. Hilda?! And not only her but Bianca, Cheren, Iris and Burgh as well? What the hell was she doing here? He told her not to leave the Pokémon center. Shit… Just shit…

"Great and now I have to deal with them as well! Wait me here, bastard. We will continue our little family reunion later…"

N was watching his father, as he was heading towards the door. The blood flowed with pressure through his veins and he could feel his whole body vibrating. He had to do something, but what? His mind was blurred from all those possible scenarios that could occur, by the time his father would come out of this room. He couldn't think of anything else.

"Father no!"

He started running as fast as he could, trying to reach the door before his father. He stood in front of it, panting and wiping away the sweat from his forehead.

"Please… let them go…"

He grabbed the boy by the collar and pushed him back against the door, eliciting a loud yelp of pain.

"I am not in the mood for games right now. Get out of my sight, freak…"

The man pushed him aside, throwing him to the floor. Almost instantly, the boy managed to stand up, holding his head in pain. With fast and clumsy movements he grabbed his father's cape and pulled the man backwards. N's foot then swept out, connecting with Ghetsis' ankles, throwing him off balance. Without even realizing what was happening, Ghetis found himself flat on his back, sucking in deep breaths of air that seemed devoid of oxygen.

"What the…hell… is-"

N then stepped on his right hand, making him scream.

"I won't let you hurt them!"

Ghetsis' face was bright red. He was still screaming in pain, as his son's foot was standing firmly on his hand. It was then that his eyes opened wide. That disgusting creeper had actually managed to make friends. So because of them N changed his mind. These little shitheads managed to destroy the plan he had been carefully following all these years. He was going to make them pay, he was going to… Suddenly a malevolent smile shaped on his face.

"And that was your last mistake you arrogant bastard… Finish him!"

Without even realizing what happened, N found himself writhing in pain, as his back hit the opposite wall with great force. The subsequent tunnel vision that threatened to take away his sight cleared with just enough time to roll away from a kick to the ribs.

"Who is now lying helpless on the floor, my son?"

The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was his father heading towards the door and a Cofagrigus vanishing behind the wall. With the last of his strength, N punched the floor.

…

"I don't know June. It just seems too crazy to be real. And you know I have seen many crazy things in my life."

"And that's why you have to believe me."

The blond woman edged backwards and crossed her arms. She shook her head, as her hair was blown by the strong wind.

"Good. Let's assume that you are telling the truth. What would make him join us, June? Let's be reasonable! If you tell someone to choose between the God and the Devil, which one would he choose?"

"It depends. Most people are shortsighted. They see only what they want, without considering the consequences. So, the one who exploits their weaknesses and desires in the best way, is the one who wins them in the end."

The woman bit her lips, while staring against the girl. Indeed, there was some truth to her words, but she forgot something very important… Fear. Most people's beliefs were based on fear and only a small amount of them had the guts to overcome it for the sake of their desires.

"I doubt that the boy has such a strong desire. Actually I don't think he has any desires at all. The only thing I can count as a desire is his endless love for Pokémon and someone else is already exploiting this one."

June nodded.

"I know. That's why a created a new one."

With these words June managed to draw the woman's attention. Her eyes shined vividly as she kept getting closer and closer.

"And what did you do exactly?"

The girl laughed out loud, amused with the woman's ignorance.

"Do you remember that brat we saw earlier? The one with the wild ponytail and the short jeans?"

"You mean the girl who asked you if you saw that Team Plasma or something."

"Yes that one. Well, what I did was simply give her the right directions."

A wide grin was shaped on the woman's face. She felt lightheaded and her heart seemed to have grown in her chest. What a marvelous turn of events!

…


End file.
